ADULT

SABBATH SCHOOL

LESSONS

1, 2, and 3 John

APR MAY JUN 1997

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1997 by the Sabbath School/Personal Ministries Department. General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 12501 01

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Adult Sabbath School Lessons (ISSN 8750-1988)/No. 408/April-June 1997.

The Word of Life

Light Against the Darkness

Walking Like Jesus

What Knowing God Means

The Last Hour!

Children of God

Love One Another

Testing the Spirits

How God Is Love

Victory!

Total Confidence

Don't Lose OW!

Imitating Good

104

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Contents

AM'



11164

Meet the Principal Contributor

to This Quarter's Lessons

Jonathan Gallagher is the executive secretary of the South En-

gland Conference. He began his career as district pastor in the same

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Dr. Gallagher received his college degree from Newbold College

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Fear Not, Why Not?

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Operation Godsmear,

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He and his wife, Ana Maria, have two children, Paul and Rebekah.

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God is Love

1, 2, and 3 John

"Only God is permanently interesting."—J. F. Newton. In the

letters of John we have a firsthand description of the excitement of

knowing God. Every verse proclaims: What a God! Added to this is

the central conviction that without God there is no hope, no assur-

ance, no salvation, and no love—for God Himself

love. All this is

made the more compelling by John's conviction that "this is the last

hour" (1 John 2:18, NIV), and that we must "continue in him, so that

when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at

his coming" (1 John 2:28, NIV).

No empty words of pretentious piety here! John's emphasis is

"I know because I heard, I saw, I touched. I am a material witness."

The personal relationship of "the disciple Jesus loved" with his

resurrected Lord shines through in his loving concern for the spir-

itual welfare of his fellow believers. That is why at times he speaks

so strongly. For John and for us, these are life-and-death matters. He

writes because he wants no one to miss out on a living relationship

with the Saviour.

John writes as the elder statesman of the church. In 2 and 3 John

he simply identifies himself as "the Elder"—and no one in the Chris-

tian church of the time had the spiritual authority of the last living

apostle. In 1 John he does not identify himself at all—and in reality

he does not have to. There is no doubt as to who is writing. In style,

in content, and in personal enthusiasm this is the same John who

wrote: "In the beginning was the Word" (John 1:1). John's creden-

tials are those of the "living witness" to Jesus Christ.

He counters the false ideas that are beginning to circulate in the

church. He denies the theory that:

•

the physical world is evil and that Jesus only "seemed" to take on

human form;

•

Jesus was the natural son of Mary and Joseph who took on

"Christ" at his baptism;

•

salvation is dependent on some "secret knowledge" of God;

•

Christian behavior and morality are unimportant; and so on.

But John does not spend time attacking error point by point;

instead, he counters error by promoting the truth, by showing the

positive reality of the gospel. We have lessons to learn here!

At the heart of John's message is the true nature of God as

revealed by Jesus Christ, and the essential importance of responding

to this loving offer of free and full salvation. May we respond to this

saving, healing God before it is too late.

Lesson 1



March 30—April 5

The Word of Life

Sabbath Afternoon

READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: 1 John 1:1-4.

MEMORY TEXT: "We write to you about the Word of life,

which has existed from the very beginning. We have heard it,

and we have seen it with our eyes; yes, we have seen it, and our

hands have touched it" (1 John 1:1, TEV).

KEY THOUGHT:

Jesus, the Word of Life, became one with us so

that we could know God, believe in Him, and be saved for eternal life.

KNOWING GOD AS HE TRULY IS.

This is the great theme

expressed as John opens his message. He is absolutely convinced that

Jesus is the express image of the invisible God—Jesus with whom he

walked and talked was and is truly the Almighty, eternal God!

"In asserting that he is about to write concerning the One whom he

and his associates have actually heard, John contests the claims of

those who deny the reality of the incarnation."—SD

A Bible

Commentary, vol. 7,

p. 627.

It is helpful to read the whole book of 1 John through—it's quite

short. You will gain something of the eagerness that John wants to

share. The book is really breathless with the thrill of being with God

and following His ways. Ask yourself: what is this epistle telling me

about God and how He acts? Thoughts rush on you in quick succes-

sion from the conviction of a sincere Christian. Then read the epistle

again as if it were a letter directly sent to you, rather than a dusty part

of an ancient book. In so many ways, this is one of God's love letters

to His friends, and it expresses the intimate relationship we need to

have with the One who is love, the very Word of Life!

Sunday



March 30

THE EVER-EXISTING WORD OF LIFE (1 John 1:1).

What immediately crosses your mind as you read 1 John 1:1?

I've read something like this before! The key words

beginning

and

Word

remind us of the beginning of John's Gospel, and this must have

been in his mind as he wrote this first letter. "In the beginning was the

Word" (John 1:1) announces the arrival of Jesus, the revelation of

God Himself. But this, too, echoes the very start of God's revelation to

humanity: "In the beginning God" (Gen. 1:1). Through these words

we are brought into the presence of the creating, saving God. No time

for introductory remarks! And perhaps there is a lesson here. In our

writing and talking, let's put God first.

Though people often are reluctant to discuss religion, they

frequently are quite happy to talk about God. Try it, and you will find

it is true.

What do you think "the Word of life" (1 John 1:1) means?

John's Gospel shows that the

Word

is a way of describing Jesus.

Jesus said that He came to bring abundant life (John 10:10). So we

could read

the Word of life

as Jesus, who comes to bring life. Jesus

was

the living Word—the

One who has life of Himself: "I am the

resurrection, and the life. He who believes in me will live, even

though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die"

(John 11:25, 26, NIV).

John also emphasizes that this

Word

has existed from the begin-

ning—making sure that no one is confused into thinking that Jesus

was created at some time.

At the heart of this term, the

Word of life,

is the essential truth that

without Jesus we cannot live. Life is of God, and eternal life comes

only through the gift of God. Such

life-quality

begins now and con-

tinues forever, even if the first death should intervene.

What is significant in the way John elevates the idea of the

Word?

Compare John 1:1-3 with 1 John 1:1.

Jesus is the

revelation

of God. The term

Word

is used to include not

only the spoken and written word, but the idea that God

discloses

Himself to us through Jesus.

For consideration: How real is "the Word of life" to you?

Monday



March 31

TOUCHING GOD (1 John 1:1).

How do we get our information, and how does this relate to

what we know about God? 1 John 1:1, 2.

Information about the world we live in comes through our five

senses. "Seeing is believing," we say. "Heard it with my own ears."

"So real, I could reach out and touch it." We rightly place much

weight on what our senses tell us. And to contradict those who want to

make Jesus into some kind of ghost, John is quite adamant: "We

heard, we saw, we even touched!" Jesus wasn't someone you could

put your hand through. Remember Jesus' invitation to His disciples

after His resurrection: "Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh

and bones, as you see I have" (Luke 24:39, NIV).

In the same way, doubting Thomas was finally convinced when he

could actually touch and feel the risen Jesus. Jesus urged him, "put

your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into

my side. Stop doubting and believe" (John 20:27, NIV). Likewise,

John's certainty was based on his own experience. His knowledge and

understanding of God came through his closeness to Jesus and what

Jesus represented.

Why is it important to give evidence that what we say about

God is true? 2 Peter 1:16-21.

How many different ideas are there about God? We all know

people who have different understandings as to what God is truly

like—even within the church! That is why two things are essential: the

truth about God as revealed in the person of Jesus, and our own

personal experience of Him in His dealings with us. John points us to

these two basic aspects of Christian faith: he knew Jesus personally,

and he identified Jesus as God. Much of the message of 1 John is

summed up in this.

The New English Bible uses striking language in its abrupt and

uncompromising beginning: "It was there from the beginning; we

have heard it; we have seen it with our own eyes; we looked upon it,

and felt it with our own hands; and it is of this we tell. Our theme is the

word of life" (1 John 1:1). John had not only heard of Jesus, but he

had also seen Him, touched Him, and associated with Him. The

witness of his senses was irrefutable.

For reflection: Without the actual physical presence of Jesus,

how can you

touch

God?

Tuesday



April 1

THE MATERIAL WITNESS (1 John 1:2).

What is important about an eyewitness? List some specific

aspects. Acts 10:38-43; 13:30-33; 1 Peter 5:1.

We give credibility to the testimony of witnesses who see and hear

something firsthand. They are considered to have the best knowledge

of a situation, since they were actually present, unlike others who may

have heard only second- or thirdhand.

John presents himself and the other apostles as eyewitnesses

(1 John 1:2). He himself was the man on the scene,

who knows it to be

true because he heard, saw, and touched for himself

The conviction

of personal experience is hard to argue against. John speaks of what

he knows to be true because he saw

the life become visible

in the

person and nature of Jesus Christ.

John 1:1-3 quoted.] Thus John bears testimony that he had seen

Christ, had been with Christ. In the early history of the Christian

church, the enemy tried to bring in questions that would lead to doubt

and dissension. At this time the testimony of John was invaluable in

establishing the faith of the believers. He could say with assurance, I

know that Christ lived on this earth; and I can bear testimony regard-

ing His words and works."—Ellen G. White Comments,

SDA Bible

Commentary, vol.

7, p. 947.

How could someone who looks like only a man be God? John

14:6-11.

By depicting haloes, medieval artists tried to make sure Jesus (and

other specially holy persons) were recognized. But Jesus came as a

man among men, and there was nothing to attract us to him other than

the truth itself. "[Isa. 53:1-3 quoted.] . . . . In the eyes of the Jews,

Christ had no beauty that they should desire Him. They looked for a

Messiah who would come with outward display and worldly glory,

one who would do great things for the Jewish nation, exalting it above

every other nation on the earth."—Ellen G. White Comments,

SDA

Bible Commentary,

vol. 4, p. 1147.

We have become so familiar with the story that we may need to

think again of what John is really saying. How easy is it to believe that

someone who from outward appearance looks like just another man is

actually the God of the universe?

How easy is it to be disciples today? Was it more difficult

then? If so, why? If not, why not?

Wednesday



April 2

PROCLAIMING FELLOWSHIP—WITH GOD! (1 John 1:3).

Like a herald announcing the visit of a king, John proclaims the

truth and invitation of God. The amazing fact is that God invites us all

to join John in friendship with him: "Truly our fellowship is with the

Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3).

How does Christianity differ from many other religious

sys-

tems?

John 15:14, 15.

Where else is the idea of friendship with God so strongly stated?

Ideas of "God" as distant or unconcerned or needing pacifying are

frequently found in religious systems, since God is seen as being so

"far above" us. The God revealed in Jesus remains all-powerful, the

great Almighty—yet He invites us into fellowship (friendship) with

Himself. What a gracious God! And this is truly the message of Jesus,

who invites us into understanding friendship.

How are we to relate to God? James 2:23.

"We need to educate and train the mind so that we shall have an

intelligent faith,

and have an

understanding friendship

with Jesus.

Unless we continually cherish friendship between God and our souls,

we shall separate from Him, and walk apart from Him. We shall make

friends of those around us, and place our trust in humanity, and our

affections will be diverted from the true object of worship. We must

not allow coldness to chill our love for our Redeemer. If we have

fellowship with Him, we must ever set the Lord before us, and treat

Him as an honored Friend, giving Him the first place in our affec-

tions."—

Sons and Daughters of God,

p. 27 (italics supplied).

How inclusive is John's invitation in 1 John 1:3, 4?

Some Christians have thought they should be

exclusive

and have

even incorporated that idea into their system of beliefs. But following

the example of Jesus, John wants to invite all who will respond into

fellowship with

and with the Father and the Son. The church is to

reflect the God who is inclusive—inviting all who will to come into

fellowship with Him.

For reflection: Are there any ways in which you are exclu-

sive? What can you do about this?

Thursday



April 3

COMPLETING JOY (1 John 1:4).

How does John think his joy and that of other members of the

church will be made complete? 1 John 1:4.

It is interesting that John does not feel joy to be complete without

those to whom he is writing. And though we are far down the ages,

this surely applies to us too. All true Christians feel that their joy is

incomplete unless it is shared with others who also can experience the

joy of the gospel. As Phillips puts it: "We must write and tell you

about it, because the more that fellowship extends, the greater the joy

it brings to us who are already in it" (1 John 1:4).

This infectious enthusiasm for evangelism is often what we miss.

How can it be recaptured? We may think that what is needed are

methods, plans, and schemes—or more advertising, better technol-

ogy, or improved presentations. All these may be good, but none can

be a substitute for the irresistible zeal of the Christian who holds on to

the experience of first love for God. All through his Gospel and

letters, John speaks of this inner joy. (See John 3:29; 15:11; 16:20-24;

17:13; 2 John 12; 3 John 4.) How can this joy be sustained?

Define in a few words

real joy.

What is the reason for this joyful

enthusiasm?

"If there is anything in our world that should inspire enthusiasm, it

is the cross of Calvary. 'Behold, what manner of love the Father hath

bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore

the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not.' 1 John 3:1. 'For

God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that

whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting

life.' John 3:16. Christ is to be accepted, believed on, and exalted.

This is to be the theme of conversation—the preciousness of Christ."

—Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students,

p. 338.

If this is so, how does my conversation match up? Is this my theme

in the talks I have with others? And how do I bring such themes in

without appearing preachy or spiritually vain? We also need to ques-

tion our relationship to those new Christians joining the church as

well as the way we prioritize evangelism and our own personal com-

mitment to sharing faith.

If these activities seem unenjoyable, what does this say about

our experience of

the joy of the Lord?

Friday



April 4

FOR FURTHER STUDY: The prologue (1 John 1:1-4) to 1 John has

been the subject of some study. What is the "that which" that John is

referring to?

For some useful parallels between 1 John and the Gospel of John,

refer to the

SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7,

pp. 623, 624.

The "that which" is the truth of and about God, as revealed in Jesus

and as witnessed by John and his fellow apostles. All Christians may

experience this truth as they come to know Jesus personally.

"By coming to dwell with us, Jesus was to reveal God both to men

and to angels. He was the Word of God,—God's thought made au-

dible. In His prayer for His discples He says, 'I have declared unto

them Thy name,'—`merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abun-

dant in goodness and truth,'—`that the love wherewith Thou hast

loved Me may be in them, and I in them.' But not alone for His

earthborn children was this revelation given. Our little world is the

lesson book of the universe. God's wonderful purpose of grace, the

mystery of redeeming love, is the theme into which 'angels desire to

look,' and it will be their study throughout endless ages. Both the

redeemed and the unfallen beings will find in the cross of Christ their

science and their song. It will be seen that the glory shining in the face

of Jesus is the glory of self-sacrificing love. In the light from Calvary

it will be seen that the law of self-renouncing love is the law of life for

earth and heaven; that the love which seeketh not her own' has its

source in the heart of God; and that in the meek and lowly One is

manifested the character of Him who dwelleth in the light which no

man can approach unto."—The

Desire of Ages,

pp. 19, 20.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

What exactly does Jesus, the Word of Life, tell us about the

nature and character of God?

We cannot directly see, hear, or touch Jesus today. Does

this put us at a disadvantage or not? Why?

SUMMARY: Only by believing and accepting the Word of Life,

Jesus Christ, can we experience God's truth and His healing salvation.

Without Jesus, who reveals God, we would be in ignorance of God.

But thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ we have access to friend-

ship with God and to eternal life. We have complete joy with God and

with one another.

The Devil Tried!

Paul Newman Yao

ihbwl

AlUssImr

My parents are from Togo in West Africa, but I was born in

Ghana. When I was about 8 years old, my father took me back to

his village in Togo to live with relatives. He wanted me to learn

about the culture and heritage of Togo.

I had attended a Catholic school in Ghana, but my father's

family would not allow me to practice Christianity. They taught

me their culture and religion, which is a form of animism and

spiritism. (Togo is the voodoo capital of the world.)

When I was 12 years old the other boys and I were initiated into

the tribe. The men took us far from the village. We were not

permitted to look at the sun or the sky, for the spirits lived there.

Each boy performed sacrifices and consulted with the spirits to

learn the future. When it was my turn, the witch doctor told me I

should not eat certain foods or attend crowded events. Then he

gave me the name of a spirit god: Looso Akla.

When I became an adult, I moved far from Togo to a village in

northern Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). I began to think about my

spiritual life, and I felt a yearning to return to Christianity. A

nearby Adventist church was having evangelistic meetings, and

someone from the church invited me to attend. I did. The speaker

promised gift Bibles to all who attended every night, so I came to

every meeting to get my Bible. But I received far more; I received

Jesus Christ and was baptized. I found what my heart was search-

ing for!

I took a lay-ministry-training course and moved to an area with

no church. I went door to door seeking people to study the Bible

with me. I began holding meetings for children. We sang and I told

them stories. We had a wonderful time! They invited their parents

to come, and soon I began giving Bible studies to those who asked.

In three months we had seven people ready

for baptism, and in three years our little

group had grown to 40.

Praise God! He took me from heathenism

and voodooism and gave me something far

better—Jesus! The devil tried to keep me,

but Jesus won the victory!

Paul Newman Yao (left) is studying natural

remedies used in healing. He hopes to open his

own practice in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.

For Current Newsbreak, Call 1-800-648-5824.

Light Against

the Darkness

\\\\

Lesson 2



April 6-12

Sabbath Afternoon

READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: 1 John 1:5-10.

MEMORY TEXT: "This is the message which we have heard

from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no

darkness at all" (1 John 1:5, NKJV).

KEY THOUGHT:

God is the source of light and truth, and His

true followers cannot be part of darkness and error.

GOD IS LIGHT.

"The best way to see divine light is to put out thy

own candle," said Thomas Fuller. If we are busy making our own way

to heaven, then the quicker we look to the true light and not our own,

the better. God identified as light means the source of life itself, the

basis of truth and the only way of salvation-healing.

Knowing this, we cannot live in the two worlds of light and dark-

ness at the same time. We must live in the light—the life-giving, all-

transforming, glorious light of the Creator-Redeemer God. "No one is

a light unto himself" (Antonio Porchia).

There are significant consequences to this. Sin has to be spelled

out. I remember my landlady being horrified at a poster I put in my

window when I was a student that read, "Repent: for all have sinned."

She confronted me and said, "You can't say everyone's a sinner. I'm

not a sinner!" From my observations of the kind of life she led

(without being judgmental), I found it hard to agree with her! But she

well illustrates so many who refuse to accept their sinful state. Until

we accept our sinfulness, we make God a liar and refuse His help.

Sunday



April 6

LIGHT AND NO DARKNESS (1 John 1:5).

What is God like? 1 John 1:5; Ps. 27:1; Isa. 60:20. How are

light

and

darkness

symbols? Write a few examples.

John announces what he has heard and knows to be true. What he

has to say is no philosophical speculation—it is the revelation of God

Himself. Identifying God as absolute light in whom there is no dark-

ness at all immediately creates a striking image in the mind. We are

not nocturnal animals. We look for the light and cannot exist without

light. Light is a symbol of so many things: vision, growth, knowledge,

and understanding—even life itself. As an illustration, it reveals God's

divine character in all its beauty, wisdom, and majesty.

More than this, light is equated with moral good and ethical right.

Darkness, in contrast, is seen as the kingdom of the enemy, and the

home of evil. And so comes the challenge—where are you living?

You cannot live in both darkness and light. You cannot split your time

between two opposing principles. Nor can you say that light is dark-

ness, or the opposite.

The thought of light also echoes the Genesis account and the first

creative act of God in saying, "Let there be light" (Gen. 1:3). God is

seen as the Creator who

light; He is described as being surrounded

by glorious light, and in His appearances to humanity is always

associated with blazing light (Eze. 1:26-28).

Why do you think that John adds "in him is no darkness at all"

(1 John 1:5)? Wasn't it enough to say that God is light?

"It is in the ethical sense that John here affirms that 'God is light,

and in him is no darkness at all.' God, that is to say, is the source and

essence of holiness and righteousness, goodness and truth; in Him

there is nothing that is unholy or unrighteous, evil or false."—F. F.

Bruce,

The Epistles of John

(London: Pickering and Inglis, 1970),

p. 41. "It is typical of John to make a categorical statement such as

`God is light,' and then to reinforce it with a denial of the opposite (cf.

vs. 6, 8; ch. 2:4; John 1:3, 20; 10:28)."—SDA

Bible Commentary, vol.

7, p. 630.

This verse also makes it clear that God is neither the author of nor

responsible for evil. Some philosophies teach that God is the creator

of evil—but this John emphatically denies.

For reflection: What does the phrase

God is light

really mean?

What relevance does this have for you?

Monday



April

LIVING IN BOTH LIGHT AND DARKNESS (1 John 1:6, 7).

Why is it not possible to belong to both God's kingdom and the

devil's kingdom? 1 John 1:6.

Can you live a split existence between two worlds that are so

opposite? And yet so many try to perform this acrobatic feat! John

does not mince his words here. Anyone who claims to be a Christian

and yet lives in darkness he calls a liar—not just in words, but in

actions too.

Why is this so serious? It is because we fool ourselves into thinking

we can have "the best of both worlds" when there is nothing good in

the darkness. And we also fool others by giving out such confusing

signals.

For reflection: Think of some examples of how our lives are

inconsistent with what we say we believe.

Three tests of true belief: in 1 John 1:6, 8, and 10, John sets up

three tests so we can discover how deep our commitment is to the

truth of God. The first is the failure to reject evil. In retaining our

home in the darkness of the devil's evil deceptions, we demonstrate

where we belong spiritually. The second self-deception is to deny our

sins, to make out that we are right when we are not. If we do this, says

John, there is no truth in us—we are lying again! The third test is to

suggest that we do not even have a sinful nature—we never sinned—

which actually makes God Himself into a liar and denies the whole

reason for the plan of salvation.

But by living in the light we share together in God's blessings and

can experience the mutual friendship of true believers in the Lord. At

the same time, this does not mean the immediate achievement of total

goodness, for an ongoing process of purifying from sin continues.

When

we speak of

the blood of Jesus,

what do we really

mean? How would you explain this vital aspect of Christian

belief to the person in the street who knows nothing of

religious ideas? How does the blood of Jesus cleanse us "from all

sin"? (1 John 1:7, RSV) Does this mean: (1) our fallen

natures are destroyed; (2) our fallen natures are subjected to the

control of the Holy Spirit; or (3) we are given victory over sinful

behavior? Are more than one of these alternatives involved in

Jesus' cleansing power?

Tuesday



April 8

LIVING WITHOUT SINNING—IS THIS DECEPTION? (1 John

1:8).

What is being said in 1 John 1:8? How do you relate this verse

to the statement at the end of the previous verse, that "the blood of

Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin" (verse 7, RSV)?

The ideas of perfection and sinlessness have been much fought

over—and the very term

fought

should alert us to the unchristlike

words and actions of some. John is not denying the working of God,

which as he has just said, "purifies us from all sin." The focus in verse

8 is on

our

saying that

have no sin. This arrogant lie is a self-

satisfied confidence that we have achieved the state of sinlessness,

and even that we did it by ourselves for ourselves. This makes a

mockery of God's gift in Jesus Christ.

How should you respond to those who make claims of sinlessness?

A friend of mine told of a letter his father had once received. At the

foot was PS: "I have lived without sinning these last 45 days."

Suggest how you would have responded.

As a church, we have had to relate to those who have claimed

sinless perfection. Ellen White wrote: "The words of John came forc-

ibly to my mind, 'If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,

and the truth is not in us.' 1 John 1:8. I was shown that those who

triumphantly claim to be sinless, show by their very boasting that they

are far from being without taint of sin. The more clearly fallen man

comprehends the character of Christ, the more distrustful will he be of

himself, and the more imperfect will his works appear to him, in

contrast with those which marked the life of the spotless Redeemer.

But those who are far from Jesus, those whose spiritual perceptions

are so clouded by error that they cannot comprehend the character of

the great Exemplar, conceive of Him as altogether such a one as

themselves, and dare to talk of their own perfection of holiness. But

they are far from God; they know little of themselves, and less of

Christ.—Life

Sketches,

p. 84.

For reflection: How do you view yourself when you consider

the character of Christ?

Wednesday



April 9

HOW GOD DEALS WITH OUR SINFULNESS (1 John 1:9).

What steps are spelled out in the way God deals with our

sinfulness? 1 John 1:9.

Step one: We

have to confess. We cannot be like those in the

previous verse who simply deny their sin. If we do not admit and

accept that we are sinners, God cannot help us. We must identify our

need of God to heal us from our sinfulness.

Step two:

Because by nature He is "faithful and just" (or "utterly

reliable and straightforward," as Phillips puts it), God forgives our

sins. Sometimes God's forgiveness is made out to be some way in

which He makes allowances or bends the rules. This misses the whole

point. God

forgives

because it is the

right

thing to do, and God is

always right. The devil is the one who complains about the correct-

ness of forgiveness, but forgiveness is at the heart of the nature and

character of God. God sees the true motives of the heart, accepts the

sincerity of repentance, and consequently forgives—which means

accepting us back as if we had never sinned.

Commenting on 1 John, Ellen G. White makes this vital point:

"The plan of redemption is not merely a way of escape from the

penalty of transgression, but through it the sinner is forgiven his sins,

and will be finally received into heaven—not as a forgiven culprit

pardoned and released from captivity, yet looked upon with suspicion

and not admitted to friendship and trust; but welcomed as a child, and

taken back into fullest confidence."— Ellen G. White Comments,

SDA Bible Commentary, vol.

7, p. 950.

Step three:

God purifies us from all our unrighteousness ("wrong-

doing," TEV). In fact, God's forgiveness includes purification. "God's

forgiveness is not merely a judicial act by which He sets us free from

condemnation. It is not only forgiveness

for

sin, but reclaiming

from

sin. It is the outflow of redeeming love that transforms the heart."

—Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing,

p. 114. Sometimes in our

gratitude and amazement at God's gracious forgiveness, we stop there

and miss the essential third step. God does not leave us simply as

"forgiven culprits." He sets to work to heal the damage sin has caused,

and to remake us into His image. He not only

sets

us right, but

keeps

us right. (See also the Ellen G. White article, "God Made Manifest in

Christ."—Signs

of the Times,

Jan. 20, 1890).

Think of how these three steps have worked in your experi-

ence. Do you realize the accepting and transforming nature of

God's forgiveness?

Thursday



April 10

MAKING GOD A LIAR (1 John 1:10).

How do we make a liar out of God? 1 John 1:10.

Note Phillips' pointed translation of this verse: "For if we take up

the attitude 'we have not sinned,' we flatly deny God's diagnosis of

our condition and cut ourselves off from what he has to say to us."

More than this—we buy into the lies of the devil, who assured Eve

that she would not die as a result of her sinful action, but rather would

be godlike. The devil has always tried to clothe God in his own evil

nature. How can we refute the following allegations?

God is a liar. (See Gen. 3:4.) The devil directly contradicts what

God has said.

God is selfish.

(See Gen. 3:5.) The devil insinuates that God is

keeping the best for Himself by not allowing Adam and Eve access to

the tree, for they would then be like God.

God is a bad governor of His universe.

(See Isa. 14:13, 14.) Lucifer

claims he can do a better job than the Most High.

God exhibits favoritism.

(See Job 1:9, 10.) Satan accuses God of

being partial, and claims that those who follow Him do so only for

material and personal gain.

God asks for worship that is not deserved.

(See Matt. 4:9.) In

contrast, Satan asks for that worship to be directed to himself.

"And many other charges are demonstrated by the work that Satan

carries out and his attitude to God revealed in Scripture: God is

hostile, cruel, unforgiving, antagonistic, vengeful, severe, unjust—

and all the other qualities that the devil transfers from himself to

God. . . . No wonder then that God is 'defaced,' and is rejected

so often by those whose picture of God has been given them

by the archliar. They have swallowed the distorted, perverted

picture of God fed to them by the antagonist, so that God's name

continues to be blackened and blasphemed. 'On rumour's tongue

continual slanders ride.' (Shakespeare.)"—Jonathan Gallagher,

Is God

to Blame?

(Grantham, England: Stanborough Press, 1992), p. 38.

"Why have we had so hard a judgment of our Heavenly

Father? From the light that God has given me, I know that

Satan has misrepresented our God in every possible way. He has

cast his hellish shadow athwart our pathway, that we might not

discern our God as a God of mercy, compassion, and truth. . . .

We thus put our kind Heavenly Father in a false light. All this

should change. We must gather up the rays of divine truth, and

let our light shine upon the darkened pathway of others."

—Ellen G. White,

Review and Herald,

Feb. 26, 1889.

Friday



April 11

FOR FURTHER STUDY: Review the introduction to the Gospel of

John and the comments on John 1:1-5 in the

SDA Bible Commentary,

vol.

5, pp. 891-899.

Further on "God is light":

"God is light, and in Him is no darkness

at all. If there were no light, there would be no shade. But while

the shade comes by the sun, it is not created by it. It is some obstruc-

tion that causes the shadow. So darkness emanates not

from God, but is the result of an intruding object between the soul and

God. . . .

"Disregard of the light that God has given brings the sure result. It

creates a shadow, a darkness that is more dark because of the light

which has been sent. . . . If a man withdraws himself from light and

evidence, and yields to Satan's seducing arts, he himself draws the

curtain of unbelief about him, so that light cannot be distinguished

from darkness. More light and evidence would only be misunderstood

him."—Our High Calling,

p. 26.

Further on how God deals with our sinfulness:

"In ourselves we

can see nothing but weakness, nothing to recommend us to God, and

Satan tells us that it is of no use; we cannot remedy our defects of

character. When we try to come to God, the enemy will whisper, It is

of no use for you to pray; did not you do that evil thing? Have you not

sinned against God and violated your own conscience? But we may

tell the enemy that 'the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us

from all sin.' 1 John 1:7. When we feel that we have sinned and

cannot pray, it is then the time to pray. Ashamed we may be and

deeply humbled, but we must pray and believe. 'This is a faithful

saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the

world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.' 1 Timothy 1:15. Forgive-

ness, reconciliation with God, comes to us, not as a reward for our

works, . . . but it is a gift unto us, having in the spotless righteousness

of Christ its foundation for

bestowal."—Thoughts From the Mount of

Blessing,

p. 115.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

How would you describe "living in the light"?

Why are we still attracted to the darkness at times?

SUMMARY: Only by living in the light that is of God can we

experience the true Christian life. There is no darkness in God—no

moral darkness or error of any kind. We are invited into this life-

giving light as God deals with our sinfulness and wins us back to love

and trust in His gracious concern for us.

Global Missien

Don't Let Our Church Close!

James H. Zachary

"Dear Lord, help us keep our church open," Cheryl Hodge and

Marie Pesak of Rochester, Indiana, prayed. Their little church was

the only Adventist church in the county. During World War II it

had been home to 60 members, but over the years people moved

away or slipped away until only two members remained. But the

women were determined to do all they could to keep their church

alive.

Then one Sabbath morning Patrick Noonan walked into the

church. "I want to be baptized," he announced. The surprised

women listened to his story of how family problems had driven

him to find the Lord.

"Praise God!" Marie and Cheryl said. "You can be our elder!"

The church had just increased its membership by 50 percent, to

three active members!

For five years Patrick met with the two women to pray, "Lord,

help us keep the light of truth shining in this county." Then in

1993, another member joined the church; Cheryl was married!

Besides their constant and earnest prayers, the four church

members worked hard to draw interests from the neighborhood.

They held a prophecy seminar that resulted in six new members,

more than 100 percent growth! Encouraged, they planned another

seminar that helped bring in four additional members.

Other Adventists saw the church members' zeal and transferred

their memberships to the Rochester church. Then Pastor David de

Pinto was assigned to the little congregation. Impressed by the

group's dedication to evangelism, the pastor and his wife settled

in, determined to stay and help the church grow.

More seminars, more outreach, and lots more prayer have brought

other new members to the church. Today

some 30 believers worship and fellowship

in the Rochester church. "It is sharing the

love of Jesus that attracts people," Marie

Pesak says with a smile. "The light of God's

truth is shining brightly in Rochester, thanks

to the Lord's blessing and eight years of

praying, 'Lord, help us keep this church

open.'"

James Zachary is Global Evangelism

coordinator for the Quiet Hour.

For Current Newsbreak, Call 1-800-648-5824.

Lesson 3



April 13-19

Walking Like Jesus

Sabbath Afternoon

READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: 1 John 2:1-11.

MEMORY TEXT: He who says he abides in Him ought himself

also to walk just as He walked" (1 John 2:6, NKJV).

KEY THOUGHT: The true test of genuine Christianity is

Christlikeness.

FOOL'S GOLD? All too often gold prospectors have been bitterly

disappointed to discover that the wonderful "mother lode" of bright-

shining, glittering gold has turned out to be worthless fool's gold. To

the untrained eye, this deceptive "gold" looks like the real thing. The

test is to take it to the chemist and have it analyzed. The first test is a

drop of "aqua regia"—a strong acid combination—that dissolves the

fool's gold but leaves the true gold untouched.

What an image of true and false Christianity! Both can seem to

sparkle in the sunlight and look equally valuable. But when the test of

truth comes, the fool's gold is found wanting. And that truth has much

to do with

how we really live.

Too frequently those who

claim

to have

the truth do not

demonstrate

this in their lives and behavior.

In this week's lesson, we study John's inspired concept of what it

means to be a true Christian, one through whom the untarnished love

of Christ shines with sparkling beauty. "John insists that he who

claims to abide in Christ should give daily evidence that he is emulat-

ing his Saviour."—SDA

Bible Commentary, vol. 7,

p. 638.

Sunday



April 13

SIN REMEDY (1 John 2:1, 2).

What is God's attitude toward acts of sin? In what way does

Jesus plead with the Father? 1 John 2:1.

Commenting on the first clause of 1 John 2:1, Alfred Plummer

writes that the Greek "is conclusive against the rendering 'that ye may

not

continue

in sin.' He would help them to avoid every act of

sin. . . . This is the moral effect of the death of Christ;—to unite men to

the God who is Light, and to enable them to hate and avoid the

darkness of sin."—Alfred Plummer,

The Epistles of St. John

(Grand

Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1886, 1980), p. 33.

Some have the idea that, as our Advocate, Jesus is pleading for the

Father to be nice to us. This is absolutely wrong, as both Scripture and

Ellen White point out. Note the words of Jesus: "In that day you will

ask in my name; and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for

you; for the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and

have believed that I came from the Father" (John 16:26, 27, RSV).

"The atonement of Christ was not made in order to induce God to

love those whom He otherwise hated; and it was not made to produce

a love that was not in existence; but it was made as a manifestation of

the love that was already in God's heart."—Signs

of the Times,

May

30, 1895.

What does it mean for Christ to be the

propitiation

for our sins?

1 John 2:2; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24.

The old word

propitiation

may convey the wrong meaning as to the

relationship of God to humanity. In some contexts, it carries the

connotation of appeasement of a hostile and angry deity, which is

more related to pagan than true ideas of God.

The Greek word

(hilasmos)

that the King James Version translates

propitiation

means "expiation" (the act of making atonement, the

means by which atonement is made), or

sin-offering.

John is referring

to the fact that the guilt of the whole world was laid upon Christ (Isa.

53:6; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24).

"Upon Christ as our substitute and surety was laid the iniquity of us

all. He was counted a transgressor, that He might redeem us from the

condemnation of the law. The guilt of every descendant of Adam was

pressing upon His heart. The wrath of God against sin, the terrible

manifestation of His displeasure because of iniquity, filled the soul of

His Son with consternation."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 753.

Monday



April 14

TRUE OBEDIENCE (1 John 2:3-5).

What does disobedience to God show? 1 John 2:4.

John does not hesitate to use strong words because the issue is so

important. He is dealing with people who say they know God but

whose lives and Christian behavior are not consistent with their claim.

They have great theories about God and His nature, but they do not

allow God to come in and change their evil natures. Like many down

through the ages, they have the theory but not the practice. We, too,

need to see the contradiction between our claims of piety and the

evidence of unspirituality in our lives.

How do we truly obey? 1 John 2:3, 5; 5:4, 5.

While disobedience may demonstrate that God is not truly known,

obedience can also be from wrong motives. Note this:

"The man who attempts to keep the commandments of God from a

sense of obligation merely—because he is required to do so—will

never enter into the joy of obedience. He does not obey. . . . True

obedience is the outworking of a principle within. It springs from the

love of righteousness, the love of the law of God. The essence of all

righteousness is loyalty to our Redeemer. This will lead us to do right

because it is right—because right doing is pleasing to

God."—Christ's

Object Lessons,

pp. 97, 98.

Can obedience be legalism? Gal. 3:1-5.

Much depends upon the motives of the heart. Obedience just be-

cause the law

says

so is not enough! There must be an appreciation of

right for its own sake, a

love

to do right, and love for Christ that

transcends all personal inclinations. If we have wrong attitudes and

motives, we may attempt to keep the law, and yet still not obey. This

is why John says, "But whoever obeys his word is the one whose love

for God has really been made perfect" (1 John 2:5, TEV). Love for

Christ and reception of His power enable us to obey, and successful

obedience deepens our love for God.

For reflection: Can you think of a situation in which someone

could be a commandment keeper and yet not know God? Are

there any examples from the past?

Tuesday



April 15

LIVING LIKE JESUS (1 John 2:6).

"We have only one perfect photograph of God, and this is Jesus

Christ."—Ellen G. White, MS 70, 1899. What does this statement

tell you?

Jesus came to show us God (John 1:18; 12:45; 14:9). And so

through the visible presence of Jesus as God we can see His true

nature and character in contrast to all the lies the devil has told. Jesus

is the representation of all that is good and pure and true. So we

should spend much time in contemplation of the life of Christ, since it

is a living illustration of how God acts in all kinds of situations.

Often we hear of Jesus as our example. In so many ways this is

true. He shows us what Christian ideals are in practice. He provides a

practical example of godliness. He demonstrates the way to live in a

sinful world. But Jesus did not need to be saved! Dangers are there if

we seek to copy Jesus as a way of earning salvation. This leads to

works righteousness: trying to make our way to heaven by our own

efforts. Jesus came to

show

us how to live (Rev. 3:21). And He came

be our salvation.

So let us look to Jesus as our example of how to live, but let us not

think we can walk alone!

Exactly how did Jesus live? 1 Peter 2:21-23. Write down some

examples from the Gospels that seem particularly relevant to you.

"How did Jesus walk? Certainly in the light with God, due to his

perfect obedience to the heavenly Father's will, to which God himself

testified (Mt. 3:17; 12:18: 17:5). But he also walked in love towards

the crowds of needy, lost people whom he daily encountered (Mt.

9:36). Walking in the light is not only characterized by the absence of

sin but equally importantly by the presence of love. Those who re-

main (abide) in Christ cannot fail to display the fruit of the Spirit, in a

Christ-like character."—David Jackman,

The Message of John's

Letters

(Leicester, England, and Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity

Press, 1988), p. 50.

"If we abide in Christ, if the love of God dwells in us, our feelings,

our thoughts, our purposes, our actions, will be in harmony with the

will of God as expressed in the precepts of His holy law. 'Little

children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is

righteous, even as He is righteous.' 1 John 3:7. Righteousness is

defined by the standard of God's holy law, as expressed in the ten

precepts given on

Sinai."—Steps to Christ,

p. 61.

Wednesday



April 16

OLD AND NEW COMMANDS (1 John 2:7, 8).

One frequent charge against the Bible is that the Old Testament and

the New Testament are so different. A few have even suggested that

different "Gods" were responsible for the two testaments! But the

truth is that though circumstances and situations varied, the message

of salvation that God has wanted to communicate has always been the

same. It is truly the "everlasting gospel."

Assignment: Write out a few examples that seem to show a

difference between the Old and New Testaments. What do these

tell you about the way God works?

What is the difference between the "old" and "new" commands?

1 John 2:7, 8.

In the same way that Jesus used the "old" in expressing His mes-

sage and mission, John reminds his hearers that what He is saying is

nothing new. God is consistent: "the same yesterday and today and

forever" (Heb. 13:8, NIV). He may use different methods and have to

operate in emergency situations, but what He wants is unchanging: the

willingly given love and trust of His children so that He may save and

heal them.

John emphasizes the historic nature of the good news—from

Creation until now. But then he remembers that Jesus called it a "new

command" (John 13:34). It is new because Jesus has come—not to

remove the "old" but to "fulfil" it (Matt. 5:17). Jesus is the clearest

representation of God and His character.

John is reminding his readers that the original gospel to which they

responded is the only true one. Original and best! As Paul emphasized

to the Galatians: "Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a

gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally

condemned" (Gal. 1:8, NIV). Because the devil attempts to pervert the

true gospel, every Christian must be on guard against accepting a

"modification" of the truth. Ultimately "its truth is seen in Christ. . . .

and the real light is already shining" (1 John 2:8, TEV).

"We must believe the words of God just as he has spoken

them; we must take Christ at his word, believe that he came to

represent the Father, and that the Father, as is represented in

Christ, is our friend, and that he desires not that we should

perish, or he would never have given his Son to die our sacri-

fice."—Review

and Herald,

March 8, 1892.

Thursday



April 17

BROTHERLY LOVE (1 John 2:9-11).

What does the need for loving one another say about the kind of

God we worship? 1 John 2:9-11.

God is light—and God is love. Hating means darkness, loving

means light. By loving one another as brothers and sisters, we demon-

strate that we are following the way of God. Love is a reflection of our

acceptance of God and His ways as right. "He who keeps on loving his

brother despite circumstances that might produce hatred, must be

living a life with God, and therefore dwelling in His light."—SDA

Bible Commentary, vol. 7 ,

p. 639. The opposite is also true: if we hate,

we show that the nature of God is not in us.

Why, then, are there so many arguments and divisions in the

church? What is God's ideal for the church? 1 Cor. 1:10.

The devil also knows the spiritual truth that love unites! We can

have all the theology we want, we can study our Bibles from morning

to night, but if we do not have love for one another, we are still in the

devil's camp. Like "sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal" (1 Cor.

13:1), we are just making a lot of noise but with no real result. So

while we may not always agree on every issue, our methods and

behavior must be consistently Christlike.

For your thinking: Once a group of members in the church

thought a minister was in error and so decided not to speak to him

or even shake his hand. How would you have reacted to such a

situation?

"How do you really know you are in the dark?" a father asked his

daughter. Quickly she replied, "When you bump into things!" Her

reply illustrates a spiritual truth, for as Phillips translates this verse:

"The man who hates his brother is shut off from the light and gropes

his way in the dark without seeing where he is going. To move in the

dark is to move blindfold" (1 John 2:11, Phillips). It is a painful

experience and very foolish. And yet because hate can be so strong,

sometimes people will put up with the agony of living in the dark for

the futile satisfaction of maintaining their hatred for someone.

For reflection: Do you hate like this? If so, what should you

do about it? Think of some practical answers.

Friday



April 18

FOR FURTHER STUDY: On the subject of the remedy for sin and

living like Jesus, study Hebrews 9:11-14.

"There are those who have known the pardoning love of Christ and

who really desire to be children of God, yet they realize that their

character is imperfect, their life faulty, and they are ready to doubt

whether their hearts have been renewed by the Holy Spirit. To such I

would say, Do not draw back in despair. We shall often have to bow

down and weep at the feet of Jesus because of our shortcomings and

mistakes, but we are not to be discouraged. Even if we are overcome

by the enemy, we are not cast off, not forsaken and rejected of God.

No; Christ is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession

for us. Said the beloved John, 'These things write I unto you, that ye

sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father,

Jesus Christ the righteous.' 1 John 2:1. And do not forget the words of

Christ, 'The Father Himself loveth you.' John 16:27. He desires to

restore you to Himself, to see His own purity and holiness reflected in

you. And if you will but yield yourself to Him, He that hath begun a

good work in you will carry it forward to the day of Jesus Christ. Pray

more fervently; believe more fully. As we come to distrust our own

power, let us trust the power of our Redeemer, and we shall praise

Him who is the health of our countenance."—Steps

to Christ,

p. 64.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Describe in simple terms how God deals with sin.

Why is obedience to God not the only requirement for

salvation?

Why is it important to God that we love one another?

How can we change from hate to love?

How is it possible to walk as Jesus walked?

SUMMARY: In the same way that Jesus hated no one, but loved all—

even the unlovable—so must we. Our objective is to refrain from sin.

But if we do sin, God still accepts us back when we accept His gift of

repentance. He provides the remedy for our sinfulness. We must not

take God's graciousness lightly, but seek complete obedience. This

obedience has its source in love for Christ and for His definition of

what is right. Obedience cannot result from a mere sense of obliga-

tion. Day by day we are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

'had Missies

Taking God at His Word

Izaias Storch and Carlos Roberto Alvarenga

When 10-year-old Gilda Martins Pereira, of Brazil, was bap-

tized last year, the pastor promised her that God would use her in

wonderful ways if she placed her life in His hands. Gilda took the

pastor—and God—at their word, and they both kept His promise.

Gilda and her parents were baptized following meetings held by

lay members of the Central Adventist Church of Lins, Brazil. The

church's 200 members divided into 13 teams and held evangelistic

meetings in several surrounding towns during Holy Week. One of

those towns was Guaicara, where Gilda and her family live.

For eight months the team members held meetings, visited door

to door, and prayed for those who showed an interest. Eight pre-

cious souls were baptized into the church, including Gilda and her

parents. When the pastor visited with Gilda before her baptism, he

noted her leadership potential, and invited her to become a leader

in the newly established Sabbath School.

The new believers in Guaicara continued the work of evange-

lism begun by the members from Lins. When they decided to hold

another series of evangelistic meetings, Gilda took upon herself

the task of finding a speaker. She called the leaders of the Lins

church and convinced them to send a speaker. Then she continued

to call the assigned speaker and remind him to bring a projector,

slides, and a good program. Other church members did not think

Gilda could get a speaker for their meetings, and they did not invite

their friends to come. But when the speaker and his wife arrived at

the appointed time, Gilda chided the adults. "Didn't I tell you he

would come? But you did not believe." Then she turned to the

speaker and urged him to come again the following Sunday, prom-

ising that the room would be full.

The following week the speaker arrived to find the room full

and people standing in the aisles. He learned that Gilda had gone

throughout the town placing posters in the bus depot, stores, and

anywhere she could. As a result, 70 people came to the meetings.

The little group of believers was so encouraged by the success

of the meetings that they plan to hold another series soon. They are

looking for land on which to build a church. In the meantime, 11-

year-old Gilda continues to take God at His word and lead out in

Sabbath School. "If we do little for Jesus it is because we trust

little," she says.

Izaias Storch and Carlos Roberto Alvarenga are members of the Lins

Adventist Church in Brazil.

For Current Newsbreak, Call 1-800-648-5824.

Lesson 4



April 20-26

What Knowing

God Means

Sabbath Afternoon

READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: 1 John 2:12-17.

MEMORY TEXT: "I write to you, dear children, because you

have known the Father" (1 John 2:13, NIV).

KEY THOUGHT:

Only by knowing God as He is and by accept-

ing His gracious offer of salvation can we find hope and assurance in

this evil world.

ON KNOWING GOD.

The King James Version illustrates an old

meaning of the word

know.

It is not just mental assent or factual

content; it describes

an intimate relationship.

A few examples:

"Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived" (Gen. 4:1). "Cain

knew his wife; and she conceived" (Gen. 4:17). "Adam knew his wife

again; and she bare a son" (Gen. 4:25). "Elkanah knew Hannah his

wife. . . . She bare a son" (1 Sam. 1:19, 20). "[Joseph] knew her not till

she had brought forth her firstborn son" (Matt. 1:25).

The word

knew

is used to describe the intimate physical relation-

ship of marriage. This marital union illustrates the fellowship that

God wants to have with us. He wants to become one with us, united in

a permanent spiritual bond. (See John 17:21-26.)

The relationship of man and woman in self-giving love is used by

God as a beautiful figure of the relationship He wants with each of us.

It is based on total trust, it has no secrets, and it is very intimate. The

church is the "bride" of Christ (Rev. 21:9), the object of His supreme

love, and the church includes you and me. This is the kind of

knowl-

edge

of God that is the subject of 1 John 2.

Sunday



April 20

KNOWLEDGE AND FORGIVENESS (1 John 2:12, 13).

How sure are we of God's forgiveness? 1 John 2:12.

John writes with assurance. He does not qualify his statement. He

simply says, "Your sins are forgiven for Jesus' sake." There is an

important lesson here. While we may not

feel

forgiven, the truth is

that, having genuinely repented and confessed, we

are

forgiven.

Perhaps you are like the woman who was still asking God for

forgiveness 30 years after she had sinned, never able to believe she

was forgiven. This is a denial of what God has stated. Thinking like

this prevents us from moving on in our spiritual experience.

The truth is that "the moment we ask for forgiveness in contrition

and sincerity, God forgives."—Signs

of the Times,

Sept. 4, 1893. And

even the desire to repent is God's work. Christ is constantly drawing

sinners by the exhibition of His love upon the cross. This softens their

hearts and inspires them to contrition and repentance. (See Ellen G.

White,

Review and Herald,

April 1, 1890.)

Why did John write (with implied approval) to the

fathers?

1 John 2:13.

As we saw before, this knowledge of God is not mind knowledge,

but a shorthand description of the total relationship between God and

humankind. John uses this term despite the fact that those whose

influence he is writing to counteract use the term

knowledge

also.

These early Gnostics had the idea that secret knowledge was the key

to salvation. Certain mystical ideas were supposed to be known only

to the spiritually elite. Interestingly, John refers to Christ as the One

"who is from the beginning." One of the ideas that became central to

later Gnosticism was that Jesus was a kind of created being, one of the

emanations of God.

What is wrong in not recognizing Jesus as equal with God in

His divinity? Give some specific reasons. John 5:18; 8:58; Col.

2:9.

To deny the full divinity of Christ is arguably the worst

heresy; it prevents our seeing in Jesus the complete picture of

God's nature and character. Only God Himself could atone for

those who had broken His law, only He could suffer adequately

for human sin.

Monday



April 21

KNOWLEDGE AND VICTORY (1 John 2:13, 14).

To what should the knowledge of God lead? 1 John 2:13, 14.

These verses parallel the previous ones. We should remember the

Hebrew mind's fondness for parallelism. Much Old Testament poetry

is of this form: a thought is stated, and then the next line parallels the

first thought. It is probable that John is being poetic here. John repeats

what he writes to the fathers and the young men. But there is a contrast

in what he writes to "my children"; in verse 12 he writes of their

forgiven sins, and in verse 13 he writes of their knowledge of the

Father.

Which comes first? Do we come to know the Father as forgiving,

or, having been forgiven, do we come to know the Father? Both are

true! That the forgiving nature of God is emphasized as being the

central characteristic of the Father is surely significant.

"God in Christ gave Himself for our sins. He suffered the cruel

death of the cross, bore for us the burden of guilt, 'the just for the

unjust,' that He might reveal to us His love and draw us to

Himself. . . . Let Christ, the divine Life, dwell in you and through you

reveal the heaven-born love that will inspire hope in the hopeless and

bring heaven's peace to the sin-stricken heart. As we come to God,

this is the condition which meets us at the threshold, that, receiving

mercy from Him, we yield ourselves to reveal His grace to others.

—Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing,

pp. 114, 115.

What is the consequence of God's healing forgiveness? Luke

1:77 (compare 4:18; Eph. 1:7, 8; Col. 1:13, 14).

The consequence is spiritual cleansing, victory over sin, and recep-

tion of Christ's redeeming love. Having come in repentance, having

received forgiveness, having been spiritually healed, "you have over-

come the evil one" (1 John 2:13, 14, NIV). This is the hallmark of

successful Christian living by the power of the indwelling Christ.

God's desire for all of us is that we should be one with Him and

right with one another. In order to have these experiences, we must

come to the only One who can help us. Taking care of guilt is only

part of God's forgiveness. When we are sick and go to the doctor, he

doesn't say, "I forgive you." He attempts to provide a cure. In a

similar way, when we are spiritually sick, God doesn't merely say, "I

wipe out the guilt of your past sins." He enters into our hearts by the

Holy Spirit and begins the process of change and healing.

Tuesday



April 22

KNOWING GOD (1 John 2:13, 14).

How do we know God? Where do our concepts of God come

from? Think of how you personally have gained an understanding

of God. 1 John 2:13, 14; Jer 9:24; John 14:9; 16:30.

"When a person receives a crucial message, he usually checks

several sources to make sure the news is authentic. If a source is

unreliable, the message may be treated with suspicion. But sources

tested and found reliable can be counted on to provide trustworthy

information.

"Such is the case with information about God. People sometimes

accept facts about God without checking their sources. Information

about Him may be passed subtly through the media (which normally

give the God of the Bible a bad press). Other images of Him come

from parents or ourselves. As a result, the God we perceive may be a

God of our own making. Therefore, psychologists are partially correct

in stating that God often is nothing more than a father figure or the

projection of our own desires.

"A concept of God based on such perceptions

will

be erroneous.

Yet Christians have an authentic and reliable knowledge of God.

Why? Because our source is 'God the only Son, who is at the Father's

side, [who] has made Him known' (John 1:18)."—Roy Matheson,

Loving God's Family

(Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1985), p. 37.

"Our whole spiritual life will be molded by our conceptions of

God's character."—Ellen G. White,

Review and Herald,

April 5,

1887.

How we understand God will affect the way we view all other

doctrines. We must not accept a picture of God's nature that is dis-

torted or warped in any way.

How can you test your concept of God? Who can be sure

anyway? 1 John 2:14; John 14:21, 23.

Once again, the touchstone is the revelation of Jesus and that "the

word of God lives in you" (1 John 2:14, NIV). Anything that does not

square with the thoughts and actions of Jesus must be rejected, as

must any ideas that do not find scriptural support. We must be careful

not to bring our own preconceptions to Scripture and see there the

kind of God we have already decided upon.

For reflection: How can you rightly represent the truth

about God to those around?

Wednesday



April 23

LOVING THE WORLD (1 John 2:15, 16).

What is involved in loving the world? 1 John 2:15, 16.

Some aspects are easy to identify. Status symbols: the big house,

the smart car, the motor cruiser—all these are easy to condemn as

loving the world, especially if you do not have any such possessions

and are unlikely ever to have them. It is easy to say, "Of course I don't

love the world." But we live in a world that is hard to ignore. In some

way or other, we all absorb ideas and beliefs from the world. And not

everything out there is wrong.

So what of those concepts that are not so clearly identified as

wrong? What about the idea of competition—beating the opposition?

Is that right or wrong? How does this relate to Christian belief and

lifestyle? Can you be a true Christian in business?

What are your primary objectives? What do you want most? You

may not want a massive fortune, but there are few people who would

not say that they could do with more money.

Then what of the way we relate to others? The world has affected

our relationships and distorted our ideas of love, affection, and

morality.

If we think we are not distracted by what the world has to offer, one

last thought from Jesus: "Remember Lot's wife" (Luke 17:32).

What do you see as the real difference between the Christian

and those who operate according to the ideas of this world? Col.

3:2; Titus 2:12; Rom. 12:2.

"As we see Jesus dying upon the cross to save lost man, the heart

echoes the words of John, 'Behold, what manner of love the Father

hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:

therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not' (1 John

3:1). There is nothing that more decidedly distinguishes the Christian

from the worldly man than the estimate he has of

God."—Selected

Messages,

book 1, pp. 183, 184.

What are your life's priorities? Check those that apply to you:

Getting ahead

❑

Knowing God better

❑

Happy marriage

F.3

Fame

❑

Plenty of money

❑

Eternal life

❑

Successful career

❑

Prestigious home

❑

Helping others

❑

Designer clothes

Thursday



April 24

LIVING FOREVER (1 John 2:17).

According to 1 John 2:17, who will live forever?

"Who wants to live forever?" asks a popular song. And if it is

simply life in this world, who would want that? This is where the

Christian perspective is so very different. Whatever you set your heart

on in this world will eventually pass away.

"The Worldly Hope men set their Hearts upon

Turns ashes—or it prospers and anon,

Like Snow upon the Desert's dusty Face,

Lighting a little hour or two—is gone."—Omar Khayyam

Like snow in the desert—that is the substance of worldly hope.

Temporary, transient, fleeting—it simply does not last. There is a

terrible futility if all we have is this world. So many have understood

this, all down the ages:

"We are things of the day. What are we? What are we not?

The shadow of a dream is man, no more."

—Pindar (Greek poet, ca. 5 B.C.).

"Life is but a day;

A fragile dew-drop on its way

From a tree's summit."—Keats (1816).

The Bible points to the passing nature of this world: "As for man,

his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the

wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more"

(Ps. 103:15-17, RSV; compare Isa. 40:7).

So if everything is passing away, what is the point to life?

Ps. 1:1-3; 1 John 5:11-13.

The

only

way to find lasting satisfaction, meaning, and purpose is

to come to the eternal God. "The world passes away and disappears,

and with it the forbidden cravings (the passionate desires, the lust) of

it; but he who does the will of God and carries out His purposes in his

life, abides (remains) forever" (1 John 2:17,

The Amplified Bible).

For reflection: How do you do God's will? What have you set

your heart upon? Do you want to live forever? If so, why?

Friday



April 25

FOR FURTHER STUDY:

On knowledge and forgiveness—the aim

of knowing God, study Acts 5:31; 13:38, 39; Ps. 103:3; Matt. 6:14.

"Jesus knows the circumstances of every soul. You may say, I am

sinful, very sinful. You may be; but the worse you are, the more you

need Jesus. He turns no weeping, contrite one away. . . . He bids every

trembling soul take courage. Freely will He pardon all who come to

Him for forgiveness and restoration."—God's

Amazing Grace,

p. 118.

"It is peace that you need—Heaven's forgiveness and peace and

love in the soul. Money cannot buy it, intellect cannot procure it,

wisdom cannot attain to it; you can never hope, by your own efforts,

to secure it. But God offers it to you as a gift, 'without money and

without price.' Isa. 55:1. . . .

"As you read the promises, remember they are the expression of

unutterable love and pity. . . . Yes, only believe that God is your

helper. He wants to restore His moral image in man."—The

Faith I

Live By,

p. 103.

"Let the sinner come just as he is, and contemplate the love that has

been bestowed upon him, all unworthy as he is; and the first thing he

knows, he will realize that Christ's love has broken every barrier

down, and that he exercises repentance which is not to be repented of.

The sinner must go to Christ in order that he may be enabled to

repent."—Ellen G. White,

Review and Herald,

Sept. 3, 1901.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

What else is involved in knowing God, apart from knowing

about Him?

How would you define the Christian's attitude to material

possessions?

How do we help others to find meaning and purpose in this

life that seems so temporary and uncertain?

What does the concept of eternal life mean to you?

SUMMARY: Knowing God means entering into a deep and personal

relationship with Him as Saviour and Lord. The result is expressed in

His forgiveness and in our victory over the devil's attempt to destroy

us. As a consequence, Christians do not identify with the world and its

value system; they seek friendship and fellowship with God and look

to do His will. The result for them is eternal life.

laud

Mission

God's Hand in Cambodia

M. Daniel Walker

Men Mara and his young son were returning home by train

from a pastor's training seminar in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Sud-

denly the engine hit a large land mine planted by the Khmer

Rouge. The engine was blown to pieces, and the train's cars

thrown from the tracks, scattering passengers like an angry child's

toys.

Waiting soldiers opened fire with rockets and machine guns,

riddling the train cars with bullets and shrapnel. Men Mara and his

son lay flattened against the car's floor, but shrapnel from an

exploding rocket ripped across Pastor Mara's back, leaving him

bleeding and in pain. His young son suffered crushed ribs and

possible internal injuries.

For more than an hour the soldiers peppered the train as wounded

and dying passengers lay all around. Suddenly the shooting stopped.

Gunmen burst into the car and ordered the passengers to run for

their lives. Bleeding and unable to walk, Men Mara and his son

were forced from the train. They began picking their way carefully

through a large mine field, where one misstep could cost them a

limb or their lives. They stumbled on for 10 miles to the nearest

village, where they received first aid for their wounds. The next day

they were transported to a hospital in their home town of Battambang.

There they learned that 29 had died and more than 100 had been

injured in the siege. Every passenger lost his belongings.

Men Mara and his son have nearly completely recovered from

their wounds. Their faith is strong, and Pastor Mara is again at

work in his large district. He thanks God for saving his life and

allowing him to continue to serve Him.

Such incidents remind us that Cambodia is still not a free

country, and dangers still threaten the church's work. But God is

blessing the work there, and Cambodia now has more than 1,000

Adventist believers, where just a

few years ago there were none.

Keep praying for our young be-

lievers in Cambodia, and for the

workers who faithfully nurture

them.

M. Daniel Walker is director of

the Cambodian Mission. (Left) Men

Mara, his son, and his wife.

For Current Newsbreak. Call 1-800-648-524.

-4".)41,A4NA\V!



•

'loll"'// 114/AIff

Lesson 5



April 27—May 3

The Last Hour!

Sabbath Afternoon

READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: 1 John 2:18-29.

MEMORY TEXT: "And now, little children, abide in Him, that

when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed

before Him at His coming" (1 John 2:28, NKJV).

KEY THOUGHT:

Though some will attempt to deceive, teaching

all kinds of error, the true Christian will remain true to God, realizing

that widespread apostasy is proof that the end is soon to come.

ALMOST THERE!

A soccer match is in its final minutes. The

two teams make an all-out effort, throwing as many men forward as

possible into their opponents' half, trying to score that all-important

goal. A cycle race is in its final mile. The competitors redouble their

efforts, sprinting toward the finish. The marathon race is nearly over.

Just a few more paces to run, one last struggle to find that extra energy

to push over the line, so that victory is achieved.

These are familiar images that fill the media, images of people who

have trained long and hard, who have run a good race, and have won

the gold. The victors were those who endured to the end.

We are told to run the race set before us. And as we run, we must

not be unaware of the finishing post just up ahead. To fail in sight of

the prize would be foolish and futile. John encourages each one to

realize that this is the last hour.

As the end comes, we can say with Paul: "I have fought the good

fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7,

NKJV).

Sunday



April 27

ANTICHRISTS AND THE LAST HOUR (1 John 2:18, 19).

How does John say we can identify that this is the last hour?

1 John 2:18.

The very fact that the voices of deception and rebellion have

reached such a crescendo means that the last hour has arrived. While

John was not trying to date the time of Christ's return, he pointed to

the same signs that Jesus identified to indicate the urgency of the

times. "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform

great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were pos-

sible" (Matthew 24:24, NIV).

What does John tell us about the antichrists who had arisen in

his day? 1 John 2:19.

Antichrists are those who follow the devil, either deceived by him,

or deliberately adopting his evil ways. For John, they were those who

had once been part of the church but had now gone their own separate

ways. These were substitute christs and opponents of Christ. "John

sees it as a sign of the approaching end and warns his readers accord-

ingly."—SDA

Bible Commentary, vol.

7, p. 644.

The course adopted by the antichrists of John's day has been

followed all too often since then and is part of the devil's attack on the

church today. Unfortunately, many in today's world have given up on

biblical Christianity and have bought the deceptive lies of the devil.

They may even be sincere, but they are sincerely wrong! Just because

you are sincere that you are going in the right direction is no guarantee

that you will arrive where you should.

And as the end approaches, we will see an intensification of hostil-

ity to the gospel. The ultimate end-time antichrist is identified in the

prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. (See Dan. 8:25; 11:42-45; Rev.

13:16, 17; 16:13, 14.) A religious union based on non-biblical teach-

ings will arise that will claim to be Christian but which will support

secular powers in their opposition to the faithful people of God.

Apostate Christians will unite with pagans in substituting the power of

spiritism for the power of Jesus Christ. They will accept unbiblical

teachings because they are popular and will bitterly persecute those

who insist on adhering to Bible truth. Only as we remain in close

union with the Lord can we escape Satan's deceptive snare.

For reflection: Is there any way in which you, even indirectly,

assist the antichrist?

Monday



April 28

ANOINTED BY THE SPIRIT (1 John 2:20, 21, 26, 27).

How do we

know

the truth? Is it head knowledge, a feeling, a

spiritual experience, or a combination of these? 1 John 2:20,

21, 26, 27.

Even the phrase "anointed by the Holy One" (1 John 2:20, RSV) is

interpreted by some to mean that we receive mysterious impressions

telling us what is right.

"I am afraid of anything that would have a tendency to turn the

mind away from the solid evidences of the truth as revealed in God's

Word. I am afraid of it; I am afraid of it. We must bring our minds

within the bounds of reason, lest the enemy come in as to set every-

thing in a disorderly

way."—Selected Messages,

book 2, p. 43.

This is why John later on (in 1 John 4:1) tells us to "test the spirits."

What the Holy Spirit is telling us can always be confirmed by refer-

ring to Scripture. From Scripture we can know for sure whether the

impressions we are receiving are from the Holy Spirit. " 'To the law

and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is

because there is no light in them' (Isa. 8:20). Even the work of the

Holy Spirit upon the heart is to be tested by the Word of God. The

Spirit which inspired the Scriptures, always leads to the Scriptures."

—Selected Messages,

book 1, p. 43.

There are many who claim to have the truth. How do we tell

what is false and what is true? List a few ways of knowing.

Isa. 8:20; Matt. 7:20.

Examine the Bible evidence for what many who claim to have the

truth are saying and how they are living! This is surely what John

means when he says, "You do not need anyone to teach you" (1 John

2:27, NIV). Why then was John writing to them? Because he realized

that what he was writing was inspired truth. But he wanted to distance

himself from the idea that you can place absolute trust in any human

teacher in whom you have total confidence.

Paul wrote sharply to the Christians in Corinth: "My brothers,

some . . . have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I

mean is this: One of you says, 'I follow Paul'; another, 'I follow

Apollos' ; another, 'I follow Cephas'; still another, 'I follow Christ.' "

(1 Cor. 1:11, 12 NIV). Paul then asks, "Is Christ divided?" No; the

fellowship of remaining in Christ, of examining God's Word together,

will help us identify truth. And as for the different teachers: "By their

fruits ye shall know them" (Matt. 7:20).

Tuesday



April 29

DENYING CHRIST (1 John 2:22, 23).

In what ways do people deny Christ? 1 John 2:22; Matt. 10:33;

Mark 8:38.

People can deny Christ by a lifestyle contrary to the principles of

His Word. They may choose to be ignorant of Him. They may directly

deny His claims. Christians may deny Him by claiming to know Him

while not allowing Him to change them from sinners into trustworthy

friends of God. "Who, then, is the liar? It is anyone who says that

Jesus is not the Messiah. Such a person is the Enemy of Christ—he

rejects both the Father and the Son" (1 John 2:22, TEV).

John wrote like this because some of those to whom he was writing

believed the old Greek idea that the physical world is naturally evil;

they could not accept that Jesus was a real person in human flesh.

They thought that God is too exalted to take on human form. So they

suggested that Jesus only

seemed

real (Docetism) or that Christ came

down on a totally human Jesus at His baptism. Or they found some

other way to avoid the truth that God actually took on humanity.

But the incarnation

was

vital to the gospel. Any attempt to make

Jesus less than God would mean that He could not rightly represent

God to us! His statement that "anyone who has seen me has seen the

Father" (John 14:9, NIV) would then become invalid. In Jesus' death

on the cross, the answers about God would become questionable.

Only God could pay the legal penalty for all human sin (1 Peter 2:24),

only God can save, only God can rise again. Christ is God, equal in

authority and power with the Father (Col. 2:9).

What happens if you

totally accept that Jesus always was, is,

and ever will be God? 1 John 2:23.

Then "the man who believes in the Son will find that he knows the

Father as well" (1 John 2:23, Phillips).

"Had God the Father come to our world and dwelt among us,

humbling Himself, veiling His glory, that humanity might look upon

Him, the history that we have of the life of Christ would not have been

changed. . . . In every act of Jesus, in every lesson of His instruction,

we are to see and hear and recognize God. In sight, in hearing, in

effect, it is the voice and movements of the Father."—That

I May

Know Him,

p. 338.

For reflection: How do you deny Christ in what you do or

say?

Wednesday



April 30

REMAINING IN CHRIST MEANS ETERNAL LIFE (1 John

2:24, 25).

How do I remain in Christ? 1 John 2:24; 4:13; John 15:7-10.

Fellowship with the indwelling Holy Spirit is abiding in Christ.

This is the means by which we do His will. The word

remain,

which is

used all through this section, means, "making a settled home, having a

permanent address." The Christian is to make a permanent home in

Jesus Christ, not use Him as some kind of temporary

campsite.

Often

in the news we hear of people of

no fixed abode;

they do not claim to

have any home; they are drifters, transients without an address. In

other words, they do not

belong.

To belong is a vital human need. We

all want somewhere we call home, where we can feel we truly belong.

We seek love from our family, a sense of belonging. We identify with

a particular place, or a certain country. This is the idea John wants us

to have of Christ—in Him we truly belong.

Paul talks about having our "citizenship in heaven" (Phil. 3:20,

NIV). This is the same idea. We must not remain comfortable here.

We are to be restless for our true home, our destiny, which is

out of

this world.

And so the Christian remains in Christ now, walking with

Him along the way, looking for His return to complete the redemption

process so that we can then be truly

at home

with Him in the glorious

future He promises.

What exactly does God promise? 1 John 2:24, 25.

The abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts is the pres-

ence of the Father and the Son (John 14:18, 23). God's presence in our

lives by the Holy Spirit is the gift of eternal life. "It is through the

Spirit that Christ dwells in us; and the Spirit of God, received into the

heart by faith, is the beginning of life eternal."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 388.

Of course, if this were an eternity with someone you did not care

for, this would not be something to be desired.

But because we know

God through Christ now, we can be completely confident of a wonder-

ful eternal life in the presence of our loving Lord.

Remember the words of Jesus: "Now this is eternal life: that they

may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have

sent" (John 17:3, NIV).

For reflection: What future do you want, and how can you be

sure of having it?

Thursday



May 1

READY FOR JESUS TO COME (1 John 2:28, 29).

Why do you want to be ready when Jesus comes? 1 John 2:28

(compare Rev. 6:13-17).

Sometimes we have a desire to be

ready

because we see the coming

of Jesus as a kind of nightmare. Because we fear the negative conse-

quences, we desperately want to make ourselves ready. The truth is

that we should not fear, but eagerly anticipate the return of Jesus. We

should live with joyous expectancy, not in an attitude of apprehension

and dread, but of exhilaration and joy.

This will be our experience if we "continue in him" (1 John 2:25,

NIV). John encourages us not to give up in sight of the prize. In a

cycle race, one boy, tired of the troubles and hazards he had to face,

ended up sitting by the roadside discouraged and gloomy. When the

race officials found him, they were astonished. For right around the

corner was the finishing point!

We are called to continue, not to give up, not to be quitters in the

race of life. Yes, the situation may seem appalling. Yes, troubles will

inevitably come. Yes, you will meet opposition and hardship.

But

don't give up,

shouts John. For Jesus is coming, and you want to meet

him in confidence and not feel embarrassed for your lack of faith in

him. John seems to be using a play on words here as a way of teaching

this truth. You need to have confidence

(parresia)

when Jesus appears

(parousia)—two

words that sound similar in the Greek. This would be

like saying in English we need to have

comfort

at His

com-ing!

What makes it possible for Christian believers to do works that

God regards as righteous? 1 John 2:29.

First John 2:29 translates literally: "If you know that He is

righteous, you know that anyone who does righteousness has been

born of Him." In other words, the individual who is born of the Holy

Spirit has the power to do righteous works. John adds to the thought in

1 John 3:7. "He who does righteousness is righteous, as He is right-

eous." The one who does righteousness is the born-again believer

(1 John 2:29). By the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, this person

reflects the rightoues character of Jesus (Gal. 2:20), which is mani-

fested in good works. (Compare Eph. 2:8-10.)

For reflection: How do you demonstrate your eagerness for

the return of Jesus?

Friday



May 2

FOR FURTHER STUDY: On the Second Advent, study: 1 Thess.

4:16-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-54; 2 Peter 3:8-14.

Ready for Jesus to come.

"We are looking for the second coming of

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We are not only to believe that the

end of all things is at hand. We are to be filled with the advent spirit

that when the Lord comes He may find us ready to meet Him, whether

we are working in the field, or building a house, or preaching the

Word; ready to say, To, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and

He will save us' (Isaiah 25:9)."—Ellen G. White,

Manuscript

Releases, vol.

10, no. 847.

"Living power must attend the message of Christ's second coming

in the clouds of heaven. . . . The message for this time is positive,

simple, and of the deepest importance. We must act like men and

women who believe. . . . Waiting, watching, working, praying, warn-

ing the world—this is our work."—Ellen G. White,

Manuscript Re-

leases, vol.

10, no. 844.

On making sure faith is based on truth, and not only on impres-

sions:

"Faith in a lie will not have a sanctifying influence upon the life

or character. No error is truth, or can be made truth by repetition, or

by faith in it. Sincerity will never save a soul from the consequences

of believing an error. Without sincerity there is no true religion, but

sincerity in a false religion will never save a

man."—Selected

Messages,

book 2, p. 56.

"Impressions alone are not a safe guide to duty. The enemy often

persuades men to believe that it is God who is guiding them, when in

reality they are following only human impulse."—The

Acts of the

Apostles,

p. 279.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

How does expecting Jesus' return affect you and the way

you live?

Is it practicable to live each day "as if it were your last"?

If this really is "the last hour," what should your priorities

be?

SUMMARY: While divisions over doctrine and practice will become

ever more common as the end approaches, true Christians will hold on

to the truth as found in Jesus. Denials of the absolute divinity of Christ

will be at the heart of many deceptions, but to follow such ideas would

mean a false understanding of our God. The message is

stand firm

and

look forward to the soon return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Victor the Victorious

Inge Gray

Victor Kpoto had once been a skilled carpenter. His work was

well known, and he had a flourishing business in Cotonou, the

capital of Benin, a tiny country in West Africa. Then one day his

right hand was crushed in an accident. His work as a carpenter was

over. Sometimes Victor wondered how God could bring victory

out of such a loss.

Victor had to support his family, so he returned to his home

village of Lobogo, a farming region 55 miles north of the capital.

His family owned a plot of land there, and he began cultivating it

and planted vegetables and nursery stock to sell in the city.

As he traveled back and forth to Lobogo, Victor began to feel a

burden for the people there. Many were relatives and old friends.

There was no one else to share the Adventist message with them.

So Victor began offering his customers Bible studies. In faith, he

bought a field on which to build a church, and painted a little sign

that read "Seventh-day Adventist Church." He placed it in the

middle of the empty field.

He began spending more and more of his time in Lobogo, and

soon he had a group of about 30 people meeting in a temporary

shelter to study the Bible. Three young men were ready for bap-

tism, and others soon would be ready. But they had no baptistry.

Victor and the other believers began building a baptismal tank

in the empty field. Bit by bit they bought cement and made blocks.

They sacrificed to put up a temporary shelter around their bap-

tistry. Then they invited a lay evangelist from another area to hold

evangelistic meetings.

One day a message came to the mission office. "Pastor, come

soon. Eleven people want to be baptized." The minister arrived

and interviewed the new believers. Then with great joy he invited

one after another of the new believers to enter the new baptismal

tank and seal their commitment to a totally different way of life in

Jesus. Faces of new believers shone with joy as they began their

new life in Christ, but the most radiant face of all was Victor

Kpoto's. He had watched God bring victory out of apparent loss.

Pray for the fewer than 1,000 believers in Benin, and the

handful of faithful workers to minister there.

Inge Gray and her husband have recently transferred from Benin to

the Africa-Indian Ocean Division in Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa.

For Current

Current Newsbreak. Call 1-800-648-5824.

Lesson 6



May 4-May 10

Children of God

Sabbath Afternoon

READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: 1 John 3:1-10.

MEMORY TEXT: "How great is the love the Father has lav-

ished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that

is what we are" (1 John 3:1, NIV).

KEY THOUGHT:

God not only identifies us as His children, but

also makes sure that this is what we truly are. As a result, true children

of God will reflect the character of God.

HOW GREAT A LOVE!

To be loved when you do not consider

yourself lovable—maybe that is what amazes us most about God.

That "he first loved us" (1 John 4:19) seems so impossible that all too

many deny it.

An elderly gentleman once asked a pastor: "How could God ever

love me after all I've done?"

When the pastor pointed him to what the Bible says, he still couldn't

believe it: "You don't know what I've done. God could never accept

me. He could never love me."

"No, I don't know what you've done," the pastor admitted. "But

God does. And He still loves you."

And this was the thought that won that sad and tired man.

God first loves us, then convinces us of His love. Then He seeks to

share that perfect love that casts out fear—for how can you love

someone you fear? This is not some wishy-washy love, but tough

love—love strong enough, committed enough, to go to Calvary for

you, to win you back as one of His children. Now what do

you

say?

Sunday



May 4

CHILDREN OF GOD—MORE THAN A NAME (1 John 3:1).

What makes us God's children? 1 John 3:1; John 1:12

(compare Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6).

Committed believers are children not only in name, but also in

actuality. We

really are

God's children as we respond to God's love,

repent, and are transformed by the work of the Spirit. Technical terms

such as "imputed righteousness" and "imparted righteousness" may

obscure the process, suggesting that the first is the identification and

the second the actuality. John does not differentiate righteousness; he

simply says that God not only identifies us as His children but truly

considers us such and treats us as such.

God's claim for His children goes much beyond the declaration

"Not guilty" over a bunch of evident rebels. Heaven is peopled, not

with pardoned criminals, but with transformed children of God, to-

tally accepted by Him.

"The plan of redemption is not merely a way of escape from the

penalty of transgression, but through it the sinner is forgiven his sins,

and will finally be received into heaven,—not as a forgiven culprit

pardoned and released from captivity, yet looked upon with suspicion

and not admitted to friendship and trust; but welcomed as a child, and

taken back into fullest confidence."—Ellen G. White,

Review and

Herald,

Sept. 21, 1886.

If you're a child of God, why isn't your life better? Gal. 5:17,

18; 1 Cor. 9:27; Rom. 7:25.

Children of God retain fallen natures that, worked upon by Satan,

struggle for the mastery. Only by allowing "the Spirit of life in Christ

Jesus" to set us "free from the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2, RSV)

can we live as true children of God.

The preachers of the health-wealth gospel would have us believe

that proof of our relationship to God must be demonstrated by obvious

blessings of material wealth and miraculous healings. Such a philoso-

phy is not new. The Pharisees thought along similar lines, and the

comforters of Job expressed like ideas. The truth is that being a

Christian is no

guarantee

of business success or of complete health or

of what this world defines as happiness.

For reflection: What are the responsibilities of being a child

of God? List some.

Monday



May 5

WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM (1 John 3:2, 3).

What is the future for God's true children? 1 John 3:2 (com-

pare Rom. 8:29; 2 Peter 1:4).

An eternity with our loving Lord! Can you read these words of

Scripture without becoming excited? What exactly we will be has not

been made known—but the marvelous truth is that "we shall be like

him."

How? What does this mean? How can we be like God? Peter tells

us that we shall be "partakers of the divine nature." As God's children,

we become Godlike in character—identifying with His ways and

accepting that right is right because God says it is.

And do not miss the essential clue: "We shall be like him,

because

we shall see him as he really is.

Everyone who has this hope in Christ

keeps himself pure, just as Christ is pure" (1 John 3:2, TEV, italics

supplied).

See

is the transforming word; it means not only visibility,

but also illumination and understanding. Once we begin to see God

He really is,

we begin to be changed into His likeness—spiritually,

morally, and behaviorally. This process commences as we come closer

to God. We are to receive victory over sin and have the grace to reflect

Jesus' character. But our spiritual growth is to continue until Jesus

comes.

According to John, what does this "blessed hope" do in the one

who believes? 1 John

3:3.

True believers act to purify themselves by Christ's abundantly

supplied power, so that they can reflect the nature and character of

God. Note especially that this is not a once-for-all act. It is a continu-

ing process. The ongoing need and activity gives the lie to the concept

that believers are divested of imperfect, fallen natures before Jesus

comes. This view implies that in this world we can reach a stage

beyond which we no longer need to grow in holiness. The Bible is

emphatically consistent: even for those who have victory over sin,

growth in spirituality will continue until Jesus comes. Paul wrote that

he had not yet arrived spiritually at the ultimate goal, but was still

pressing on (Phil. 3:12-14).

For reflection: What do you recognize that needs changing in

you? Are you willing to allow the Lord to change what needs to

be changed? When?

Tuesday



May 6

LAW AND SIN (1 John 3:4-6).

How is sin defined? 1 John 3:4.

"Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness"

(1 John 3:4, NIV). Sin is an attitude and act of lawlessness, of being

above or against law. The concept is of beings who

by their nature

choose to act in a lawless fashion. This "lawless" attitude is derived

from Lucifer's rebellion against God and His just law. (See

Thoughts

From the Mount of Blessing,

p. 109.)

So how does God deal with our lawless attitude toward Him

and His government? 1 John 3:5.

Jesus came to take away our sins (1 John 3:5), to win us to love and

acceptance of Him so that He might forgive us and restore us to

Himself.

"Jesus has said, 'And

if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all

men unto me.'. . . Christ draws the sinner by the exhibition of his love

upon the cross, and this softens his heart, impresses the mind, and

inspires contrition and repentance in the soul."—Ellen G. White,

Review and Herald,

April 1, 1890.

What is the result of God's salvation? 1 John 3:6.

The question is not whether John is speaking of one sin or habitual

sin. All sin is of the devil (1 John 4:8). As long as we allow the Holy

Spirit to retain charge of our minds, we are kept from sinning. "Is it

possibe to be healed, while knowlingly committing sin?—No; it is

genuine faith that says, I know that I have committed sin, but that

Jesus has pardoned my sin; and hereafter I will resist temptation in

and through His might. 'Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth

himself, even as he is pure.' He has an abiding principle in the soul,

that enables him to overcome temptation.

" 'Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not.' God has power to keep

the soul who is in Christ, when that soul is under temptation."—Sons

and Daughters of God,

p. 297. You cannot give in to the desires of

your sinful nature, and then say you are in union with Jesus. John is

not

saying that Christians never sin, but sin must

always

be seen by

Christians as separating them from God. The commitment must be not

to sin at all, "but if anybody does sin" (1 John 2:1, NIV), he or she has

Christ as the heavenly Advocate.

Wednesday



May

DESTROYING DEMONIC DECEPTIONS (1 John 3:7, 8).

In what sense is the believer righteous as Jesus is? 1 John

3:7.

The person who does righteousness (1 John 3:7) is born of the Holy

Spirit (1 John 2:29). Christ's righteousness is imputed in two senses:

His righteousness is legally counted for the believer (Rom. 4:6-8,

23-25).

His righteousness is also imputed in the sense of bestowed upon

the believer without any earning work on his or her part (Rom.

4:11; 6:18; 8:9, 10).

"Through faith in His name He imputes unto us His righteousness,

and it becomes a living principle in our

life."—That I May Know Him,

p. 302.

Whose side are you on when you do what is sinful? 1 John 3:8.

All sin is of the devil, whether one sin or habitual sin. By sinning,

we identify with Satan and his campaign of lies and deception; we

show that we distrust God and do not rely on His changing, healing

power. We can

choose

to follow Satan or follow God—that is the

heart of the issues in the great controversy. And when we choose the

devil's way, we show that we do not fully trust God, and in a sense, we

damage Him and His reputation. We are "a spectacle to angels and to

men" (1 Cor. 4:9). When we sin, we "crucify . . . the Son of God

afresh, and put him to an open shame" (Heb. 6:6). As long as we

choose to do this, Christ cannot change our hearts.

What is John's reason for Jesus' first coming? 1 John 3:8.

Jesus came to undo the damage done by Satan. He did this by

paying the penalty for all human sin (1 John 2:2; 1 Peter 2:24;

2 Cor. 5:21);

earning the right to restore the image of God in sinful human

beings (John 14:18-21; 2 Cor. 3:18);

demonstrating how believers can live without sinning (1 Peter

2:21-23);

clearing up misconceptions about God, thus ending the rule of

Satan's deceptions (1 John 4:8, 9).

"When Jesus died on Calvary, men and angels beheld the malig-

nity of Satan, and the love of God for a fallen world."—Ellen G.

White,

Review and Herald,

July 12, 1892.

Thursday



May 8

LIKE FATHER, LIKE CHILD (1 John 3:9, 10).

What does John mean by saying that "no one born of God

commits sin" (1 John

3:9, RSV)?

Many interpreters assert that, because the verb "commits" (RSV),

"does" (Greek:

poiei)

is present tense, the text should be translated,

"No one who has been born of God

continues

to sin." In fact, the

present tense in Greek does

not

always express continuous action.

("The aoristic present presents the action as a simple event or as a

present fact without any reference to its progress."—James A. Brooks

and Carlton L. Winbery,

Syntax of New Testament Greek

[Washing-

ton, D.C.: University Press of America, 1979], p. 81. See Acts 16:18;

Mark 2:5).

A single sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4); the person

abiding

in Him

does not commit lawlessness (verse 6); any and all sin is of the devil

(verse 8). First John 3:9 means that as long as "God's nature abides"

in us by the

controlling

presence of His Spirit, we do not wilfully

break God's commandments.

How do we identify the children of God and the children of the

devil? 1 John 3:10.

"This is how we know who the children of God are and who the

children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right

[Greek: "righteousness"] is not a child of God; neither is anyone who

does not love his brother" (1 John 3:10, NIV). We cannot identify

ourselves as true children of God if we do not demonstrate in our own

lives the qualities of God. We must think and act in ways that corre-

spond to God's way.

Not loving your brother demonstrates which father you have. Jesus

said to the Pharisees: "Ye are of your father the devil" (John 8:44,

KJV). You may

say

you are a follower of the true God, you may

claim

to be upholding all the doctrines, but if you demonstrate lack of love,

you are not God's child.

The error is in believing you do not have to show Christian concern

for anyone else, because you are saved by "knowledge." No special

information saves! Being part of some inner group (including church

membership) is no guarantee of redemption! The saving process is

based, not on knowledge or religious formulas, but on

personal ex-

perience

of God with the

acceptance of God's healing forgiveness and

rescue from sin,

and

this results in a transformed character that

reflects God.

No other way will do!

Friday



May 9

FOR FURTHER STUDY: On the importance of overcoming sin,

study: Isa. 1:16; John 5:14; 8:11; Rom. 6:12; 1 Cor. 15:34.

Understanding sin—a comment on 1 John 3:8:

"If, then, the whole

purpose of Christ's first appearing was to remove sins and to undo the

works of the devil, Christians must not compromise with either sin or

the devil, or they will find themselves fighting against Christ. If the

first step to holiness is to recognize the sinfulness of sin, both in its

essence as lawlessness and in its diabolical origin, the second step is

to see its absolute incompatibility with Christ in His sinless Person

and saving work."— John R. W. Stott,

Epistles of John

(London:

Tyndale Press, 1964), p. 125.

On becoming children of God:

"We can see in the cross of Calvary

what it has cost the Son of God to bring salvation to a fallen race. As

the sacrifice in behalf of man was complete, so the restoration of man

from the defilement of sin must be thorough and

complete."—Funda-

mentals of Christian Education,

p. 135.

On the drawing power of the cross:

"He [God] would have us

comprehend something of His love in giving His Son to die that He

might counteract evil, remove the defiling stains of sin from the

workmanship of God, and re-instate the lost, elevating and ennobling

the soul to its original purity

through Christ's imputed righteous-

ness."—Ellen

G. White,

Review and Herald,

Nov. 8, 1892. (Italics

supplied.)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

How do we reveal that we are part of God's family?

What is the promise for those who are children of God?

If Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, why isn't the

war over?

If I'm not saved by being a church member, what is the

point in joining?

SUMMARY: We are children of God, not just in name, but in reality

because of God's saving grace. The promise is that "we shall be like

him"—and we look and long for that great day when Jesus returns.

Until then we need to live lives that show God our Father in the very

best light, not choosing sin, but following the right because His will

makes such good sense.

A Little Boy's Lunch

Maye Porter

In Bible times, Jesus used a little boy's lunch to feed more than

5,000 people. The day of miracles is not over. God still delights in

answering the prayers of His followers, especially young people

who put their trust in Him.

Early one Sabbath morning 9-year-old Edwin went with his

classmates to help conduct a branch Sabbath School in a nearby

village in Papua New Guinea. The children and their sponsors left

their school at 7:00 a.m., too early to prepare a breakfast of boiled

sweet potatoes, so Edwin went without eating. The boys and girls

returned to the school just in time for their own Sabbath School

and church service. Edwin tried to concentrate on the preacher's

sermon, but his stomach began to rumble. He was hungry!

On his way back to the dormitory after church, Edwin's stom-

ach growled again. How he wished he had saved a sweet potato

from yesterday's dinner, but he had been hungry then, too, as

growing boys often are, and had saved nothing, not even a piece of

a potato. It would take two hours to peel and boil a sweet potato

for lunch, and Edwin was not sure he could wait that long to eat.

As he walked, he remembered that his Friend, Jesus, knew all

about his growling stomach. He stopped along the path, closed his

eyes, and told God how hungry he was. He did not ask God for

food; he knew that Jesus would know what to do about his

problem.

As Edwin began walking again he heard a bird singing in the

tree overhead. He stopped and watched the bird. Then he saw a

yellow leaf flutter down from the tree and land beside the path. He

walked over to pick up the leaf, and noticed a little bundle lying on

the ground near where the leaf had fallen. He bent down to

examine the bundle and found two nicely-made sandwiches. He

looked around, but saw no one nearby who could own the lunch.

Edwin picked up the bundle and held it in his hands. While his

stomach growled for food, he closed his eyes and thanked Jesus

for providing lunch for him. Then he sat down and enjoyed the

meal that Jesus had left for him. As he ate, he thought of the verse

that says, "My God shall supply all your need according to His

riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19). Jesus knew Edwin's

need, and He knows yours and mine, too. We only need to ask

Him.

Maye

Porter is associate child-ministries director in the Papua New

Guinea Union Mission.

For Current Newsbreak, Call 1-800-648-5824.

ow can they

hear without

someone preaching

to them? And how

can they preach

unless they are

sent?

Romans 10:14,15

Your 13th Sabbath offering on

June 28, 1997 will help rebuild the

work in the country of Angola which

is part of the Euro-Africa Division.

When the wall came down . ..

IIIIL

Not everything returned to normal.

On 13th Sabbath, June 28, 1997

Your offering will help rebuild

Friedensau Theological

Graduate School

which was in the former

East Germany.

Wil

•

"C.

.;•

!‘.!



•

Lesson 7



May 11-17

Love One Another

Sabbath Afternoon

READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: 1 John 3:11-24.

MEMORY TEXT: "Little children, let us not love in word or

speech but in deed and in truth" (1 John 3:18, RSV).

KEY THOUGHT:

Love is not revealed only in words and claims;

it is proved and demonstrated in what we actually

do.

God's love is

manifested in action—and this should apply to us too.

LOVE IN THE CHURCH.

"I'm sick of all this talk about love in

the church," one long-standing member once said. "All the other

churches do the same, and we shouldn't be like them." And then he

went on to tell how he had joined the Adventist Church.

"I went to one," he began. "They were preaching the love of God."

"Then I went to another. They were preaching the love of God

too."

"So I went to yet another. They were preaching the love of God

too."

"Eventually, I went to the Adventists. They

weren't

preaching the

love of God, so I joined them."

Do you feel uncomfortable over that story?

Of course the 27 fundamentals are important. So are the proph-

ecies. So are all the other aspects of Seventh-day Adventism. But as

Paul so clearly says: "If . . . I have not love, I am nothing" (1 Cor.

13:2, NIV). A loveless Christian is the worst representative of God.

What Jesus said still applies to us today: "All men will know that you

are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35, NIV).

Sunday



May 11

FROM THE BEGINNING (1 John 3:11, 12).

What is the beginning and basis of Christlike religion?

1 John 3:11, 12.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another;

even as I have loved you, so you also love one another. By this all men

will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another"

(John 13:34, 35, RSV).

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you" (John

15:12, NIV). The words of Jesus are summed up in the message "We

should love one another" (1 John 3:11, NIV). The

kind

of love is

clearly defined: as Christ loves, we must love. The

result

of that love

is demonstrated: if you love, everyone will recognize you as a fol-

lower of Christ. The

origin

of this love-message is identified: this is

the true message that convinced you in the very beginning.

Commenting on 1 John 3:11, Westcott writes: "The words do not

simply give the contents of the message, but its aim, its purpose. The

fundamental declaration of Christ's life and work is directed to this

end, that men should be moved by it to self-sacrifice."—B. F. Westcott,

The Epistles of St. John

(Abingdon, Berks: Marcham Books, 1966),

p. 110.

Why did Jesus emphasize "love one another" as

a command?

Ellen White states quite categorically that "He [God] desires only

the service of love; and love cannot be commanded; it cannot be won

by force or authority. Only by love is love awakened."—The

Desire of

Ages,

p. 22. So if love cannot be commanded, why does Jesus make

love a command? Obviously, because this is what Jesus most wants us

to do—it is so important that He phrases it as a command, even though

all know that love cannot be commanded, demanded, or exacted.

Since only by love is love awakened, God "first loved us" (1 John

4:19) to try to draw the response of love from us. That which God

most wants—the freely given love, admiration, and trust of His

beloved children—can be achieved only by revealing Himself as He

truly is, for "God is love" (1 John 4:8). Majesty may evoke awe,

power may draw our amazement, but God works not by might nor

power, but by the sweet influence of His loving Spirit. (See Zech.

4:6.)

Experiment: Try it out—command your friends to love you.

See what kind of response you receive.

Monday



May 12

THE CONTRAST OF SPIRITUAL LIFE AND SPIRITUAL

DEATH (1 John 3:13-15).

Why is it true that the person who hates others "abides in

death" (1 John 3:14, NKJV)? 1 John 3:14, 15.

All want to be loved. But, living in this world of sin, we cannot

expect always to be appreciated: "So do not be surprised, my brothers,

if the people of the world hate you" (1 John 3:13, TEV; see also Mark

13:13; John 15:18, 19).

Why does hatred between Christians destroy the effectiveness

of their witness? 1 John 2:9-11.

"[1 John 1:5-10; 2:9-11, quoted.] Could any description be more

sharp and clear than John has given us? These things are written for

us; they are applicable to the churches of Seventh-day Adventists.

Some may say, 'I do not hate my brother; I am not so bad as that.' But

how little they understand their own hearts. They may think they have

a zeal for God in their feelings against their brother, if his ideas seem

in any way to conflict with theirs; feelings are brought to the surface

that have no kinship with love. They show no disposition to harmo-

nize with him. They would as lief be at swords' point with their

brother as not. And yet he may be bearing a message from God to the

people—just the light they need for this time."—Ellen G. White,

Manuscript Releases,

vol. 16, p. 104.

What is the proof that "we have passed from death to life"?

1 John 3:14.

"As the presence of murderous hatred is a token that one does not

belong to the family of God, the presence of brotherly love is a sure

sign that one does belong to it, that one has, through the new birth,

`passed out of death into life' (cf. John 5. 24). . . . Love is the supreme

manifestation of the new life, so much so that any one who fails to

manifest it shows that he has never entered into the new life; he

`abides in death.' "—F. F. Bruce,

The Epistles of John

(London: Pickering

and Inglis, 1970), pp. 95, 96.

For reflection: Surely there is more to it than that? Why

should love for others be considered enough proof? Is this all the

evidence that is necessary?

Tuesday



May 13

ACTION! (1 John 3:16-18).

What is the result of Christlike love? 1 John 3:16-18.

Christ's love led Him to come to this world, to a ministry of

preaching and healing, to death and resurrection, to ascension and

ministry in heaven, and to promise to return.

Love has results!

The

people with whom John had difficulty were those who said, "Oh yes,

I'm a loving Christian" and yet demonstrated quite the opposite in

their lives, not seeing actions as being important at all. And there are

still people like that in the church.

A group in one church had a severe set of rules and regulations as

to how life was to be lived. They certainly were not of the hypocritical

type; they really practiced what they preached. And yet they had no

love, none whatsoever. Theirs was a harsh and loveless religion that

preached a harsh and loveless God. And they never smiled.

How did Christ describe the kind of benevolence we should

practice? Mark 5:42; Luke 12:23; John 13:35.

Jesus spoke approvingly of total self-giving. Our best happiness

comes in dedication to others and to God. Jesus spoke of the poor

widow and her two mites: "I tell you the truth . . . this poor widow has

put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of

their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on"

(Luke 21:3, 4, NIV).

And if Christ gave His life for us, what right have we to refuse

sacrificial love?

Talk is cheap, say many today, even of Christians. John wrote:

"My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be

true love, which shows itself in action" (1 John 3:18, TEV).

"The religion of Christ is something more than talk. The righteous-

ness of Christ consists in right actions and good works from pure,

unselfish motives. Outside righteousness, while the inward adorning

is wanting, will be of no

avail."—Testimonies,

vol. 3, p. 528.

"It is not enough to believe the theory of truth, to make a profes-

sion of faith in Christ, to believe that Jesus is no impostor, and that the

religion of the Bible is no cunningly devised fable."—The

Acts of the

Apostles,

p. 563.

For reflection: What action have you done recently to demon-

strate that your love is more than just talk?

Wednesday



May 14

GOD'S ANSWER TO EMPTINESS (1 John 3:19, 20).

These two verses describe Christian experience in a nutshell. Some

years ago a group of young people wanted to witness to their age

group. Their slogan was "The Gate"—based on Jesus' statement that

He was the gate of the sheepfold, and the only way. But they also

devised G.A.T.E. as an acronym: God's Answer to Emptiness.

How do you find peace and assurance? 1 John 3:19, 20.

The answer is sure and certain: Through loving "with actions and

in the truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and

how we set our hearts at rest in His presence whenever our hearts

condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows every-

thing" (1 John 3:18-20, NIV).

We often feel self-condemned. But, as when Jesus was faced with

the woman taken in adultery, God says to us, "Neither do I condemn

you," with the added command, "Do not sin again" (John 8:11, RSV).

And should you feel worried about what you have done, and hesitant

even to mention this in prayer, remember that God knows everything,

and He is greater than our hearts. There is nothing God cannot forgive

except that for which we do not ask forgiveness. We cannot embarrass

God. We can set our hearts at rest in His presence knowing that, by

His power, we can practice love in action and in the truth.

The conscience is a useful tool to help us recognize sin. But

what can't it do? 1 John 3:19, 20; Heb. 9:14.

"Even if our conscience condemns us, God is greater than our

conscience" (1 John 3:20, NEB). To have our conscience shouting,

"Wrong! Guilty! Sinner!" can be distressingly depressing. The prob-

lem with the conscience is like that of pain nerves. Once you have

received the message of pain, you want to say, "OK, I get the message.

You can stop now." But the pain does not stop!

So too the conscience. You appreciate its warning signals, but you

need to move on. The condemnation of the conscience can lead

to spiritual discouragement. But remember that God is greater than

our conscience. He is the one to whom we are responsible, and He is

the forgiving, healing God who is changing us into His trustworthy

friends.

For reflection: When you feel condemned before God, what

should you do? Give some specific answers.

Thursday



May 15

CONFIDENCE BECAUSE OF LOVE (1 John 3:21-24).

On what is our confidence to be based?

On God:

"Because we obey his commands and do what pleases

him" (1 John 3:22, NIV).

On Jesus Christ:

"And this is his command: to believe in the name

of his Son, Jesus Christ" (verse 23).

On love:

"And to love one another as he commanded us" (verse

23).

Because God loves us and we love Him, we can have complete

confidence in living our lives in harmony with His will. As John says

later: "This is the assurance we have in approaching God: that if we

ask anything according to his will, he hears us" (1 John 5:14, NIV).

What does this tell us about the way we are to act? We may

complain about being unloved and unappreciated, but how much do

we love and appreciate those around us? While the church is to be

more than a mutual-admiration society, the demonstration of Christlike

love will solve many of those petty problems that so divide us.

Why do our hearts condemn us? Job 9:20; Rom. 7:23.

"Our hearts condemn us when our emotions overpower our intel-

lect. We respond to situations on the basis of how we

feel,

rather than

by relying on what we

know. . . .

When our hearts condemn us, we

allow our emotions to get behind the wheel; our intellects are thrown

into the backseat. When this happens, we must remember two things.

The first is that 'God is greater than our hearts'; the second is that 'He

knows everything' (v. 20). This is why we must live by what God

says, and not only by how we feel."—Roy Matheson,

Loving God's

Family

(Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1985), pp. 112, 113.

Feelings can be both a help and a hindrance in the Christian life.

When you are having a

mountaintop

experience, the emotion of praise

and joy can be absolutely wonderful, a thrilling and inspiring sense of

God's presence that uplifts and sustains. But when you are

down in

the valley,

the negative feelings can lead to spiritual discouragement

and depression. Like David in the Psalms, we need to

call to mind

what we

know

to be true and trust in God, however bad we might

feel.

For reflection: Where is your confidence? In yourself and

how you feel from day to day? Or is your confidence in the

promises of God?

Friday



May 16

FOR FURTHER STUDY: Take a modern concordance and look up

the word

love

in the New Testament. See how love is almost always

associated not with words, but with doing something. List some

examples.

Christians to Reflect God's Character:

"Many seem to think that

they must beg pardon of all the world for being a Christian. John did

not regard it so. He says, "Behold, what manner of love the Father

hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God"

(1 John 3:1). The Christian does not take a step down to a low level;

he is constantly progressing forward, and the religion of Jesus Christ

never degrades the receiver. It refines his taste; it sanctifies his judg-

ment. Why should it not, when he is in connection with a pure and

holy God, and the power which is invested in God He imparts to His

sons and daughters. "Come out from among them, and be ye separate,

saith the Lord. . . . And I will receive you, and will be a Father unto

you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty"

(2 Cor. 6: 17-18). Here is the promise that we shall become members

of the royal family, that we shall be children of the heavenly king."

—Ellen G. White,

Manuscript Releases,

vol. 8, p. 406.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

How do we love one another when we don't even want to?

What is the use of talking about love when there are no real

results? How can the church put its love principles into

action?

At times, most Christians feel empty and self-condemned.

We may know the truth, but

don't feel saved. How can

this be remedied?

If "God is greater than our hearts, and he knows every-

thing" (1 John 3:20, NIV), why should we pray?

How useful is the conscience? How can it help, and how can

it hinder?

SUMMARY:

Christian love must be far more than talk; it

must

demonstrated in actions. This love in

action may not be well received,

indeed Christians may even be hated. Internal condemnation can also

lead to discouragement. But the confidence of the Christian is in the

God who is greater than our hearts.

flohal

Hong Kong's Challenge

Johnny Yip

Hong Kong: The very name brings images of ultra-modern

high-rise apartments and office complexes on the tiny nation that

sits on the border of China. Hong Kong residents seem to have

everything—a modern, fast-paced lifestyle, every convenience, a

beautiful city. But most people in Hong Kong do not have Christ.

With the majority of residents living in high-rise apartments, it

is difficult to make contact with them. Non-residents cannot enter

an apartment building without an invitation. So how do Christians

reach others for Christ? That's the challenge. And with the im-

pending reversion of Hong Kong to China, it is a challenge that

must be met soon.

Recently a group of Adventists began a small-group program

called cell-group evangelism. Members began meeting in their

apartments to study the Bible and to pray. They began inviting

friends, and the cell groups grew. When groups reached a given

number of members, they divided and formed more groups. There

were women's groups, students' groups, health groups, and others.

Each group reached out to others, especially non-Christians, with

similar interests. Friendships formed, and trust grew.

Then a series of evangelistic meetings was planned. Normally,

thousands of dollars of advertising would bring only a few non-

Christians to such meetings. But this time the focus was on cell-

group members and contacts. Without a single pamphlet or tract,

nearly 1,000 people attended each meeting, and more than 50

persons were baptized.

One new member is Christine, whose junior high school teacher

invited her to a cell-group meeting. This was her first contact with

Christianity. She liked the spiritual emphasis, and eventually en-

rolled in Hong Kong Adventist College. Then came the evangelis-

tic meetings, where she gave her life to Christ. But she did not

know how to have devotions or to find fellowship with other

Christians. She was introduced to a student cell group, where she

learned how to study the Bible more deeply and share with others

her feelings about life and God. She found encouragement, sup-

port, and training in the cell group. It wasn't long before Christine

was baptized.

Join with our members in Hong Kong as they pray for the

millions who do not know Christ. Time is short, and the challenge

is great.

Johnny Yip is director of the Evangelism Research Center of the Hong

Kong-Macao Conference in Hong Kong.

For Current Newsbreak, Call 1-SOO-648-5524.

Lesson 8



May 18-24

Testing the Spirits

Sabbath Afternoon

READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: 1 John 4:1-6.

MEMORY TEXT: "Test the spirits to see whether they are

from God" (1 John 4:1, NIV).

KEY THOUGHT:

Every believer must know for

sure

that what is

believed is true. God requires us each to make up our own minds and

to distinguish the spirit of truth from that of falsehood.

DEMON-DESIGNED DELUSIONS.

John writes with great con-

cern for those who are led away by false ideas. All through history,

the truth of God has been marred and distorted by perverted teachings,

even taught by those who claim to know the truth. This campaign of

misinformation directed by the archliar himself will become more and

more frenzied as the end approaches. So we must not be alarmed over

the scale and extent of false teaching, especially by those who put God

in a bad light. (See 1 Tim. 4:1, 2.)

The emphasis must be on sifting truth from error in our own lives

and making sure that we do not unconsciously identify with the

devil's portrayal of God and His character. Remember that in the end

times the battle is not only between the religious and the secular, but

also between believers and unbelievers. The clear scenario portrayed

in Revelation 13 is of a religio-political power that forces

worship.

Only as we test the spirits now will we be sure of truth and right

and be able, in God's strength, to withstand the end-time counterfeit,

which,

if it were possible,

would deceive even the very elect

(Matt. 24:24).

Sunday



May 18

DO NOT BELIEVE ALL YOU HEAR (1 John 4:1).

Why should we be careful about what we believe? 1 John 4:1.

As John says, there are many who claim to be representatives of

God, of truth and right, who are false. Think of how you make

decisions in life. Do you trust the first salesperson to whom you

speak? Do you believe whatever you are told? Or do you examine the

evidence, check the facts, and investigate the person's credibility?

Why then should it be any different in the spiritual world? We

know

that the devil is attempting to deceive. We

know

that the issues

in the great controversy center on who is telling the truth. We

know

that there are many false teachers in the world. So on what do we base

our beliefs? On a warm feeling deep inside? On authority figures? On

some kind of hunch?

NO! The Bible is specific in urging us to

test

all sources of

information. "Test the spirits to see whether they are from God"

(1 John 4:1, NIV). "The law and . . . the testimony" (Isa. 8:20)—

previously revealed truth is the authority for our beliefs.

God is not

contradictory!

What does God ask us to examine? 1 John 4:1; 1 Thess. 5:21.

"So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message

comes through preaching Christ" (Rom. 10:17, TEV). God does not

want us to believe without first understanding what He is saying, and

the reason for it:

"God never asks us to believe, without giving sufficient evidence

upon which to base our faith. His existence, His character, the truth-

fulness of His Word, are all established by testimony that appeals to

our reason; and this testimony is abundant. Yet God has never re-

moved the possibility of doubt. Our faith must rest upon evidence, not

demonstration. Those who wish to doubt will have opportunity; while

those who really desire to know the truth will find plenty of evidence

on which to rest their

faith."—Steps to Christ,

p. 105.

Check out the message. God tells us to examine the content of

what is being said: "When a prophet or a dreamer appears

among you and offers you a sign or a portent and calls on you to

follow other gods whom you have not known and worship them,

even if the sign or portent should come true, do not listen to the

words of that prophet or that dreamer" (Deut. 13:1, 2, NEB).

Monday



May 19

RECOGNIZING THE SPIRIT OF GOD (1 John 4:2).

Are miracles the best proof that someone speaks for God?

Explain your answer. Exod. 7:11, 22.

Often it is argued that miracles are the evidence for the presence of

God's Spirit. Yet from Scripture we are aware that Satan can use

miracles to his own advantage. John points out the true test: belief that

Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man.

John was especially concerned to combat the false teachings of

those in his time who denied either Christ's full divinity or the incar-

nation. The same test can be used today. Many will accept the thesis

that Jesus was a good man or that He was an interesting philosopher/

teacher. But few will admit that He was and is God, the fullness of the

Deity (Col. 2:9), the divine Being made flesh. In his Gospel, John

expounds the same theme: "And the Word became flesh, and lived

awhile in our midst" (John 1:14, Weymouth).

The attraction of Christ was simple: He lived God's truth. We are

not to believe merely because of His power, His position, or His

miracles, but because He demonstrated the infinitely perfect character

of God in His earthly life and in His death for all human sin.

What did Jesus say about signs and wonders (miracles)?

John 4:48.

When people believe solely because of miracles, their belief is

based on a wrong understanding of Jesus and His mission. So Jesus

refused all requests (even from Herod during His trial [Luke 23:8]) to

work miracles as a way of convincing doubters.

Why are there so few miracles in the church today? God wants us

to believe for His sake and truth's sake—not because of spectacular

signs or wonders. Reliance on miracle-working produces the wrong

kind of faith. Miracles can get in the way and confuse people. Jesus

never performed miracles for their own sake but always for a very real

reason. And He never performed a miracle to vindicate himself.

"Let none cherish the idea that special providences or miraculous

manifestations are to be the proof of the genuineness of their work or

of the ideas they advocate. If we keep these things before the people,

they will produce an evil effect, an unhealthful emotion. The genuine

working of the Holy Spirit on human hearts is promised, to give

efficiency through the Word. Christ has declared the Word to be spirit

and life. . . . The Bible will never be superseded by miraculous

manifestations."—Selected

Messages,

vol. 2, p. 48. (See pp. 48-53.)

Tuesday



May 20

THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST (1 John 4:3).

How can we recognize the spirit of the antichrist? 1 John 4:3;

2:22; 2 John 7; Matt. 24:5, 24.

"Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the

Spirit of God ever says 'Jesus be cursed!' and no one can say 'Jesus is

Lord' except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:3, RSV). "Any such

utterance is sufficient proof that the one who voices it . . . is definitely

not influenced by the Holy Spirit."—SDA

Bible Commentary,

vol. 6,

p. 769.

In every thought and act that demeans Jesus as God we see the

spirit of antichrist; he wishes to prevent humanity from seeing God in

the person of Jesus Christ. Through a host of different ways, he leads

people to disparage Jesus. There are movies, musicals, plays, books,

and articles in which Jesus is portrayed as far from Godlike. His name

is used to curse. And most effectively of all, perhaps, His message and

mission are ignored.

More subtle is the denial of Christ's full divinity by those who

otherwise identify with the Christian faith. Some theologians regard

the post-resurrection appearances of Christ as fabrications or myths.

Sectarian groups frequently have their own messiahs, which replace

the need for Christ as God. We cannot be so "ecumenical" as to say it

does not matter. Believing Jesus is God is truly a life-or-death matter.

The answer to the question "Who is Jesus?" remains the decisive key,

whoever you are, and whatever else you might believe.

Who or what is an antichrist?

Two main meanings are implied by the term

antichrist.

One is a

substitute christ, a rival to Christ, one who may even pretend to be

Christ. We know at the end Lucifer will appear as "an angel of light"

(2 Cor. 11:14; 2 Thess. 2:8-11) bringing the final end-time deception.

How will we be able to tell the difference between the false and the

true? Like bank cashiers who know the genuine currency so well that

they can intuitively spot the counterfeit, Christians need to know

Christ so well that when the devil comes, mixing error with much

truth, they will be able to reject this almost overmastering delusion.

The other primary meaning of antichrist is one who sets up in

opposition to Christ, as an opponent. This description also fits the

devil, who is identified in Scripture as the accuser. The end-time

antichrist refers to the religious union that identifies with Satan in

opposition to Christ. (See Rev. 13:11-17; 16:13, 14; 17:1-6.)

Wednesday



May 21

OVERCOMING THE WORLD (1 John 4:4, 5).

What is important in being "overcomers"? Against each text,

write your understanding:

We identify with Christ: "In this world you will have trouble.

But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33, NIV).

We believe specifically in Christ: "Who is it that overcomes the

world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God"

(1 John 5:5, NIV).

Overcoming results from salvation: "Everyone born of God

overcomes the world" (1 John 5:4, NIV).

Christ's promises are for overcomers (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5,

12, 21).

The glorious future for overcomers: "He who overcomes will

inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son"

(Rev. 21:7, NIV).

On what basis are we overcomers? 1 John 4:4.

We cannot be victorious in our own strength. "Christ in you, the

hope of glory" (Col. 1:27, NIV) is the source of our spiritual victory.

Our identification with Him and His truth is our protection from

deception (Rom. 12:21, NIV). The battle is not primarily one of

superior power, but of moral, ethical, and spiritual

right.

God's great

strength of character wins, in contrast to the lies of the devil. If God

had wanted to conquer by use of His might and power, He could have

done that from the beginning. This is why God says: "Not by might

nor by power, but by my Spirit" (Zech. 4:6, NIV). God's victory in

our lives results from the conviction of the Spirit.

What modern phenomenon shows that there are false spirits in

the world today? Rev. 16:13, 14.

"Modern spiritualism . . . is but a revival in a new form of the

witchcraft and demon worship that God condemned and prohibited of

old. . . . Concerning such teachers the beloved John declares: 'Who is

a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that

denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same

hath not the Father.' 1 John 2:22, 23. Spiritualism, by denying Christ,

denies both the Father and the Son, and the Bible pronounces it the

manifestation of

antichrist."—Patriarchs and Prophets,

p. 686.

Thursday



May 22

GOD-CENTEREDNESS (1 John 4:6).

What dangers do you see in applying 1 John 4:6 to us?

On the surface, this verse, taken out of context, could appear to be

arrogant in the extreme: if you are of God, you will listen to us; if you

are not of God, you will not listen! Such broad generalizations have

been used by some as a way of crushing dissent and demanding

unquestioning obedience. This is

not

what John is saying here. John

consistently appeals to the

inspired evidence

for the correctness of his

position. He is not suggesting that people do as he says without

evaluating its accuracy against past revelation and Scripture.

This position is the

result

of trusting God and the proof He has

provided of His trustworthiness, His consistency, His intimate inter-

est, His loving care and concern. So those who now choose to

reject

John and his message prove they are not truly of God, for John is

merely continuing to represent revealed truth about God. As long as

we are true to God and His revealed Word, we, too, can take the same

position.

What is the true test of truth and right? John 1:14; 14:6; 18:37.

Christ as the

source

of truth and right means that everything must

be tested against these aspects of His character.

By definition,

God is

truth, and so those who reject God are obviously operating under "the

spirit of falsehood" (1 John 4:6, NIV). God has revealed the laws of

truth and right so we can judge whether He operates by such laws.

Knowing that He does, and agreeing with Him that His laws are right,

we can have confidence that we recognize the Spirit of truth because

we know God.

Why should we not be too surprised when people reject our

message? 1 John 4:6; Jer. 6:10; 2 Tim. 4:4.

Spiritual things are spiritually discerned, and those who do not

recognize or accept the spiritual nature will find spiritual talk mean-

ingless. Our aim must be to present Christ in such a way as to attract

the attention of even the most spiritually destitute.

For reflection: If we are

not

from God, why should anyone

listen to us?

Friday



May 23

FOR FURTHER STUDY: Examine the following. Which illustrates

the way the devil is operating? What does such a plan mean to us?

THE DEVIL'S PLAN OF ATTACK:

•

Promote the self-deception of inherent goodness, that every

human being is basically good. Any attempt to require salvation and

change can be minimized. Also, evil can be identified as a relatively

minor matter.

•

Encourage selfist philosophy—the need for a positive self-image,

an exalted self-perception. Anything that exalts self makes it harder

for Christ to impart His unselfish ideas.

•

Suggest that religion is mainly to get "God on your side." That

way, God is only someone to be used for their own selfish ends.

Brilliant!

•

Turn God's unselfish gospel into the opposite; make it the way to

achieving personal prosperity.

•

Manipulate desire for healing by making this a substitute gospel.

Have them preach that sickness is only a mental attitude that needs

changing, or that if you are sick you are being punished by God.

•

Encourage religious observance—as long as I (Satan) am the one

defining religion.

•

Make people susceptible to the signs-and-wonders philosophy.

That way they will not see the truth, only the spectacular. Turn them

into a "miraculous" generation. (Adapted from Jonathan Gallagher,

God to Blame?

[Grantham, UK: Stanborough Press, 1992], pp. 11,12.)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Why does God want us to look at the evidence? Isn't it

enough to "just believe"?

What's wrong in relying on signs and wonders to provide

proof?

How is the "spirit of antichrist" at work in the world today?

How do we "overcome the world"?

SUMMARY: The church must be sure to test the spirits. So many

claims are made about religion that the evidence must be examined.

Just because the miraculous happens, this must not be the basis for

faith. Our role is to be overcomers through our trust in God, holding

firm to the truth revealed in Jesus.

God Provides a Way

James H. Zachary

Pastor Michael Melenko did not know what to do. After 70 years

of political oppression in Russia, the doors of freedom had swung

open, and people swarmed in to hear the message of the gospel. But

now that interest seemed to have waned, and in spite of trying many

different approaches, it seemed that every door closed to the pastor's

efforts to spread the gospel in the city of Penn.

Pastor Melenko did not expect an easy task. His father and grand-

father had been pastors during the Communist years. He knew the

difficulties they had endured during their ministries. Melenko be-

lieved that God would open the door for him to share the gospel as

well. He and his wife prayed earnestly for a breakthrough.

Michael watched from his seventh-floor apartment window as

his 3 1/2-year-old son, Vadim, played in the courtyard below. A

number of

babushkas

[grandmothers] sat nearby, enjoying the

sun's warmth in the little courtyard. A few minutes later little

Vadim rushed through the door of the apartment. "Please, Mother,

may I have my Bible?" he asked, breathless.

"Why do you want your Bible?" she asked. Vadim could not

yet read.

"I want to preach to the

babushkas

in the yard," he answered.

His mother gave him his little Bible with pictures of his favorite

Bible stories, and the little boy raced out the door and back to the

courtyard. Vadim's astonished parents watched as the little boy

began preaching to the old women who sat in the sun. The women

asked Vadim whose son he was. Vadim told them that his father

was a pastor, who could tell them even more stories about God if

they wished. Several accepted Vadim's offer, and the little boy's

witness opened the door of many hearts in Penn.

Several months later the Melenko family moved to another

apartment. Vadim quickly made friends with children in the build-

ing. He tells them about Jesus and prays with them. Then he

invites them to his apartment to watch videos of Bible stories.

Pastor Melenko reports that the children tell their parents about

the Bible stories, and this has opened the door for more people to

find Christ.

Today a growing group of new believers meets every week in

Penn, Russia. When the doors seemed closed, God used a little

child to open the door and lead people to Jesus.

James H. Zachary is Global Evangelism coordinator for the Quiet

Hour.

For Current Newsbreak, Call 1

800

648

5824.

.111111.-

Lesson 9



May 25-May 31

How God Is Love

Sabbath Afternoon

READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: 1 John 4:7-21.

MEMORY TEXT: "God is love, and he who abides in love

abides in God, and God in him" (1 John 4:16, NKJV).

KEY THOUGHT:

"God is love" can be a saying that is used to

suggest that God is not serious about sin, or that God will save

everyone. The truth is that

because

God is love, Jesus came and died

in our place. True love is tough and costly.

THE TRUTH ABOUT ATONEMENT.

In these powerful verses

(1 John 4:7-21), we observe the connection between love and salva-

tion. The truth that "God is love" is

immediately

linked with the

cross—the ultimate proof of the self-sacrificing, saving love of God.

God's love is no vague feeling, no meaningless words. Rather, it is

active and impressive,

striking right at the heart of our sinful

selfishness.

What God wishes is to restore what was lost by the broken

relationship that is sin—our loving, freely-given trust in our saving,

healing, trustworthy heavenly Father. By suffering infinitely on the

cross for all human sin, Christ provided the means for every believing

human being to be at one with Himself. In this is the at-one-ment that

He seeks, the reconciliation of humanity to Himself. By the demon-

stration of His true nature on the cross as He made amends for all sin,

God forever answers the charges against Him (of being self-serving,

uncaring, demanding, exacting, cruel). Truly "in the atonement the

character of God is revealed."—The

Great Controversy,

p. 501.

Sunday



May 25

THE SOURCE OF LOVE (1 John 4:7, 8).

That God is love has become a trite expression. Our concepts of

love, colored by the way in which love is expressed in our society, fall

well short of the kind of love that describes God. John is not saying

that love is a quality that God

possesses;

love is a definition of

His

actual nature.

What do you think is meant by the phrase "love comes from

God" (1 John 4:7, NIV)? Write down your own ideas.

Does literally all love come from God? As creator of the ability to

love, perhaps. But so much of what we call love is so far from the self-

giving

agape

love of God that it is arrogant to identify the marred

picture of human love as Godlike. We must be careful not to make

God in our image by saying, "Because this is the way I love, God's

love must be like this."

Perhaps this is why John under inspiration is so quick to link the

love of God to the coming of Jesus in the next verses. Satan has so

twisted the concept of love that for many it has become an image of

great selfishness or a showy example of human sensuality. God's love

is the love spoken of in 1 Corinthians 13 that does not seek self-

satisfaction but the good of others (see especially verses 4 to 7).

If God is all-powerful, and is love itself, why can't He win

everybody to love Him? Prov. 1:29; Isa. 65:12.

An Adventist student discussed God's love with a non-Adventist

university professor. The professor maintained that because God was

both omnipotent and loving, His love would conquer all—however

long it took. The professor had a scheme of not only second but third,

fourth, and fifth chances for sinful humans. Ultimately, everybody

would be convinced by the power of God's love and be saved—a kind

of universalism.

The Adventist student's understanding was that God's love is greater

than that—for it allows rejection. To love is the opposite of force, and

to use power to make sure everybody loved Him would be an abuse of

God's power. Add to that the denial of choice, and you have a God

who imposes Himself on His created beings. He might as well have

made us servants without the ability to choose.

For reflection: What kind of love do you see God displaying?

What words would you use to describe it?

Monday



May 26

THE PROOF OF LOVE (1 John 4:9, 10).

What is the proof of God's love for us? 1 John 4:9.

God came to this world to save us. Jesus came "so that we might

have life through him" (1 John 4:9, TEV; see also John 10:10).

Imagine your son is lost in the city. For whatever reason, he has not

returned home. You can say, "I love him," but until you go out into

the dark city streets, desperately searching for him, your words are

empty and meaningless.

God shows His love by His actions. "God has revealed His charac-

ter in the goodness, the mercy, compassion, and love manifested to

save a race of guilty rebels."—Ellen G. White,

Review and Herald,

March 10, 1891.

Does God love us because we love Him? 1 John 4:10.

No. Love begins with God. "This is what love is: it is not that we

have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the means

by which our sins are forgiven" (1 John 4:10, TEV).

" 'The chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his

stripes we are healed.' Isaiah 53:5. Behold Him in the wilderness, in

Gethsemane, upon the cross! The spotless Son of God took upon

Himself the burden of sin. He who had been one with God, felt in His

soul the awful separation that sin makes between God and man. This

wrung from His lips the anguished cry, 'My God, my God, why

hast Thou forsaken me?' Matthew 27:46. It was the burden of sin,

the sense of its terrible enormity, of its separation of the soul from

God—it was this that broke the heart of the Son of

God."—Steps

to Christ,

p. 13.

God will not save us without our acceptance (Rom.

5:17).

But in all

our talk, let us never try to suggest that we save ourselves.

How does God in love draw us to Him? John 12:32; Rev. 22:17.

"Christ came to manifest the love of God to the world, to draw the

hearts of all men to Himself. He said, 'And I, if I be lifted up from the

earth, will draw all men unto me' (John 12:32). The first step toward

salvation is to respond to the drawing of the love of Christ. God sends

message after message to men, entreating them to repentance, that He

may forgive, and write pardon against their

names."—Selected

Messages,

book 1, p. 323.

Tuesday



May 27

THE RESULTS OF LOVE (1 John 4:11-16).

If God loves us, what do we do? 1 John 4:11, 12.

Though we have not experienced God's love in an actual physical

way (for no one has seen God), we still have oneness with God in love

that is in a sense more real than human love. Some people wish they

could see God so they can experience His love more tangibly. But

through the Trinity (note that Father, Son, and Spirit are all mentioned

in these verses), we have the highest form of love, spiritual love,

which "is made perfect in us" (1 John 4:12, TEV).

How does God impart His love to us and enable us to remain in

a loving state? 1 John 4:13-16.

The Holy Spirit in our hearts is the presence of Christ and the

Father (John 14:18, 23). As His presence abides with us, His love

continues to pervade our lives. When we lose the reigning Holy Spirit,

we cease to love. Our fellowship with God by the presence of His

Spirit in our hearts confirms our belief that Jesus is our Saviour and

enables us to enter true love relationships with others. "The one thing

essential for us in order that we may receive and impart the forgiving

love of God is to know and believe the love that He has to us. 1 John

4:16. Satan is working by every deception he can command, in order

that we may not discern that love. He will lead us to think that our

mistakes and transgressions have been so grievous that the Lord will

not have respect unto our prayers and will not bless and save us. In

ourselves we can see nothing but weakness, nothing to recommend us

to God, and Satan tells us that it is of no use; we cannot remedy our

defects of character. When we try to come to God, the enemy will

whisper, It is of no use for you to pray; did not you do that evil thing?

Have you not sinned against God and violated your own conscience?

But we may tell the enemy that 'the blood of Jesus Christ his Son

cleanseth us from all sin.' 1 John 1:7. When we feel that we have

sinned and cannot pray, it is then the time to pray. Ashamed we may

be and deeply humbled, but we must pray and believe. . . . Forgive-

ness, reconciliation with God, comes to us, not as a reward for our

works, it is not bestowed because of the merit of sinful men, but it is a

gift unto

us."—Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing,

pp.

115-116.

For reflection: You may believe that God is love, but what

changes occur in your love when you believe that God loves

you?

Wednesday



May 28

PERFECT LOVE (1 John 4:17, 18).

How do our ideas of God's love affect our understanding of the

day of judgment and punishment? 1 John 4:17 (compare Daniel

7:22).

John tells us that we can have confidence on the day of judgment,

not because of ourselves, but "because in this world we are like him

[Christ]" (1 John 4:17, NIV). "Those who are truly like the Judge

need not fear the judgment!"—SDA

Bible Commentary, vol.

7, p. 669.

John also makes it clear that "love has not been made perfect in

anyone who is afraid, because fear has to do with punishment" (1 John

4:18, TEV). If we fill our thoughts with "the horrors of hell" or

"apprehension of the apocalypse" or "doom and disaster," we show

ourselves not to be relying on God's love.

What is the antidote to the poison of fear? 1 John 4:18.

"We do not need to be

slaves of fear.

God says to us,

'There is no

fear in love; perfect love drives out fear.'

"THE text for all those who fear. In these words are all the answers

to the fears of the world. For it is the word of One who is

defined

love: God. And in this relationship of love there can be no fear. Fear

has to do with uncertainty, with a lack of trust, and with severe doubts

as to the nature of the person. But in this right relationship to God

(which is based on love) is complete trusting assurance—because the

true nature and attitude of God are

known

and

admired.

"Perfect

love drives out fear. This perfection of love comes from

God. It's not so much our love for God that removes fear, but his love

for us. As the next verse says, 'We love because he first loved us.'

"Love here isn't the soft sentimental variety, nor the human form

of love. The love from God that removes our fears is a stark, bare and

terrible cross. On this terrible torture instrument God's incredible love

is demonstrated. . . . Because of what he

and what he

does,

all

reasons to fear are gone.

"As our 'slogan' goes on, 'But perfect love drives out fear,

because

fear has to do with punishment.' "—

Jonathan Gallagher,

Fear Not?

Why Not?

(Grantham, England: Stanborough Press, 1988), pp. 95, 96.

(Used with permission.)

For reflection: What measures can be taken to cure fear

based on expectations of punishment?

Thursday



May 29

THE WAY WE LOVE (1 John 4:19-21).

"Only by love is love awakened," wrote Ellen G. White

(The

Desire of Ages,

p. 22). Consequently "we love because he first loved

us" (1 John 4:19, NIV). We are not to think that we generate love of

ourselves, that it is because of our love for God that He responds in

love to us.

It is the other way around!

"This is love: not that we loved

God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for

our sins" (1 John 4:10, NIV).

How does God awaken love in us? 1 John 4:19.

In His great love demonstrated in creation and redemption, God

awakens love in our hearts. But most of all, He accomplishes this by

His own

personal

interest in each one of us. Look back over your life,

and see the way God has loved you, despite all your rebellion and the

tragedies of life-situations. Only as we become conscious of God's

great love can we be drawn back to Him. Like the prodigal who

became aware of his situation, the foolishness of life with pigs, we

need to go back to our heavenly Father. And as we trudge wearily up

the road, He comes running to greet us, to welcome us back, not as

hired hands, but as fully restored children, welcomed back into the

Father's complete confidence.

What incompatibility does John reveal between what we say

and what we do? 1 John 4:20, 21.

Once again John emphasizes the need for our actions to confirm

our words. We cannot go around mouthing "pious platitudes" about

our love for God and then by our attitude show that we hate our

brother. "And who is my neighbour [Luke 10:29]?" asked the lawyer.

Jesus identified everyone as our neighbor.

If you can be so perverse to hate your visible brother, what of the

invisible God? Because God is less tangible, His character is more

doubted by many. If we truly believe that God is love, we

must

love

one another. This is God's

command

(1 John 4:21). Notice the word

again! Brotherly love is the vital aspect of our character that God

looks for. Why? Because it shows that we care more for others than

for ourselves.

For reflection: How can you be sure that you make your

actions match your words? Think of real-life situations you have

experienced.

Friday



May 30

FOR FURTHER STUDY: Compare Romans 5:6-11 with John's

discussion of God's love.

Ellen G. White on how God is love: "Pardoning, redeeming love is

brought to view in Christ Jesus. Satan had misrepresented the charac-

ter of God, and it was necessary that a correct representation should be

made to worlds unfallen, to angels, and to men. . . . In Christ we

behold the character of the Father, and see the pitying tenderness

which God exercised for fallen man, giving his only begotten Son as a

ransom for the transgressors of the law. It is in beholding the love of

God that repentance is awakened in the sinner's heart, and an earnest

desire is created to become reconciled to

God."—Review and Herald,

March 9, 1897.

"What a love it is that appeals to fallen men! [John 3:16

quoted]. . . . Well did the disciples understand this love as they saw

their Saviour enduring shame, reproach, doubt, and betrayal, as they

saw his agony in the garden, and his death on Calvary's cross. This is

a love the depth of which no sounding can ever fathom. As the

disciples comprehended it, as their perception took hold of God's

divine compassion, they realized that there is a sense in which the

sufferings of the Son were the sufferings of the Father."—Ellen G.

White,

The Youth's Instructor,

Dec. 16, 1897.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

What illustrations describe

how

God is love?

Why is it important to understand that Jesus bore the pen-

alty for all human guilt?

How would you prove God's love to someone who does not

believe?

Why can't you be afraid of some and love them at the same

time? How does this apply to God?

What exactly is the problem in saying, "I love God" while

hating your brother?

SUMMARY: God is love, not merely in what He says about Himself,

but in what He does. By dying for our sins and caring for us individu-

ally, God awakens love in us. By these means He is able to save us

from our sins. Because of God's perfect love, we do not need to be

afraid, least of all of God. Through His grace, which enables us to be

like Him, we are able to have confidence in the judgment.



Pw.‘

WAN Alba=

Who Will Go?

Robert G. Manners

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I

send? And who will go for us?'

"And I said, Here am I. Send me!'

"He said, 'Go and tell this people" (Isa. 6:8, 9, NIV).

Pastor N. K. Roy had received a call to move his family to the

city of Jamalpur, a Global Mission target city in Bangladesh. The

residents of Jamalpur are predominantly Muslim, and most Christians

find living in such an area difficult. Pastor Roy and his family prayed

earnestly to know God's will. He did not want to be a Jonah; he

determined to answer the Lord's call to witness in that city.

He traveled to Jamalpur to find a house for his family. When he

arrived he asked around and was directed to see a Muslim hous-

ing agent in the city. When Pastor Roy met him and told him of his

plan to move to the city, the man began asking Pastor Roy ques-

tions about himself. "What is your business in Jamalpur? Why do

you wish to live here?" Pastor Roy hesitated. What should he tell

this man? If he said he was a Christian pastor who was coming

here to convert people to Christianity and raise up a church, this

Muslim man might see him as a disturber of the peace and refuse

to help him find housing.

Quickly Pastor Roy prayed for guidance and God's blessing.

Then he told the agent, "I am a Seventh-day Adventist minister

and I have come to tell the people of this city about Jesus."

The agent thought for a few moments, then spoke. "I know of a

group of people who live a few kilometers from here who are

searching for a spiritual leader. I will be happy to take you to them

if you wish." Pastor Roy could hardly believe his ears. This Mus-

lim man would introduce a Christian pastor to people searching

for spiritual support?

Encouraged and assured of God's leading, Pastor Roy quickly

moved his family to Jamalpur. Then he returned to visit the Mus-

lim housing agent, and the two went to visit the group of people

who were seeking a spiritual leader.

Pastor Roy began visiting members of the group and giving

Bible studies to those who agreed. In a short time 27 precious

souls were baptized. Today a church stands as a witness of God's

love among a predominantly Muslim population in Bangladesh,

testimony that God can use Muslims, and anyone who is willing,

to win others to Himself.

Robert G. Manners is president of the Bangladesh Union Mission.

Lesson 10



June 1-7

Victory!

Sabbath Afternoon

READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: 1 John 5:1-12.

MEMORY TEXT: "And this is the victory that overcomes the

world, our faith" (1 John 5:4, RSV).

KEY THOUGHT:

Those who, by faith, accept Christ's sacrifice

and maintain their born-again relationship with Him have both the

power to overcome sin and the gift of eternal life.

WINNING THE RACE.

"All the world loves a winner," goes the

saying. And when you look around at all the adoration winners

receive in this world, you can believe the truth of those words. Gold

medalists, lottery winners, Grand Prix winners, in fact winners in any

area of life are at least extolled and at best made rich and famous.

Often the winner takes all.

The Bible talks about winning too. But the Christian race is not

against others. The great aim of Christians is not to be first past the

winning post, but to be sure to finish. Completing the course is the all-

important ambition. Says Paul: "I have fought the good fight, I have

finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the

crown of righteousness" (2 Tim. 4:7, 8, NIV).

Our aim is to be victorious, to make sure that "we win the victory

over the world by means of our faith" (1 John 5:4, TEV). To do so, we

must be single-minded, wanting to know only Christ. Can we say of

ourselves: "I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may

finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—

the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace" (Acts 20:24, NIV)?

Sunday



June 1

BORN OF GOD (1 John 5:1, 2, 4).

What image does the Bible use to describe the relationship the

new believer enjoys with God? John 3:1-21.

The idea of

rebirth

is central to Jesus' message. It is not enough to

be altered, changed, fixed up. The conversion that Jesus describes is

so completely different, so totally transforming, that only the image of

being born again is sufficient. This term has been so overused (and

some would say abused) that it has lost much of its impact. But we

need to react like Nicodemus, who responds in amazement—how can

you return to your mother to be born all over again?

Birth is truly one of the greatest of human experiences—for mother,

father, and child—and all those around. To be present at the birth of

their children is an inspiring experience for fathers. A brand new life!

That is what we are to be when we are born of God. Now we relate,

like loving children, to God, as Father—because of our acceptance of

Jesus as Saviour and Lord.

Immediately the consequences of this new birth are spelled out—

loving the Father means loving the child. Families go together, says

John, and the same applies to the spiritual family. You cannot love

God without loving His children. How often Christians forget this

when they get involved in petty church squabbles over who plays the

organ or who should park in which spot. "He who loves God may be

sure of also loving his brethren. It is therefore of paramount impor-

tance for the believer to cultivate a genuine love for his Maker: it will

prove an inexhaustible fount from which all other desirable qualities

will ceaselessly flow."—SDA

Bible Commentary, vol.

7, p. 673.

When and how are you born of God? 1 John 5:1; John 3:5-8.

The sense of the original is that because we believe in the present,

we have been born of God. The truth that Jesus came to unveil is that

eternal life as one of God's children begins in the here and now. Not

that this is a once-for-all experience. Just as we are born once but

continue to be part of a family, so are we to continue as part of God's

family. "Everyone who really believes that Jesus is God's Christ

proves himself one of God's family" (1 John 5:1, Phillips). Only as we

go on identifying with the family, with its shared experience and

objectives, can we be considered part of that family.

A challenge: Why can't you truly call yourself "born of God"

when you treat others badly?

Monday



June 2

GOD'S COMMANDS (1 John 5:2, 3, 4).

How do we know we love God's children? 1 John 5:2.

By loving God and obeying Him! A strange kind of answer—or so

it might appear. And yet the truth is that each implies the other. Proof

positive of your Christian experience, is not what you

say,

but what

you do. It is perhaps easier to believe you love God, since there is no

immediate possibility of that being denied. So as John has already

made clear, loving God has to be demonstrated by our loving His

children. But the reverse is also true: the way we know we love God's

children is through love and obedience to God.

We may make great claims of love for people, but unless we truly

love God and therefore follow His law, such claims have no essential

value.

Why are God's commands not burdensome? 1 John

5:3, 4.

Not a surprising answer from the one who identified himself in his

Gospel as "the disciple whom Jesus loved"—for the commands of

Jesus can never be seen as heavy impositions or restrictive encum-

brances if there is a relationship of love. Jesus assures us that His

"yoke is easy" and His "burden is light" (Matt. 11:30). "Those who

love God find joy in fulfilling His requests and in following His

counsel, and God Himself provides the power to observe His law

(1 Cor. 10:13; Phil. 2:

13)."—SDA Bible Commentary, vol.

7, p, 673.

Obeying God's commands is not a question of "doing what we're

told, or else," but rather, a natural result of love that is coupled with

the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The alternative would be to

suffer in silence and keep the law, not because we accept and agree

with it in love, but in a spirit of smoldering rebellion:

"A sullen submission to the will of the Father will develop the

character of a rebel. By such a one service is looked upon as drudgery.

It is not rendered cheerfully, and in the love of God. It is a mere

mechanical performance. If he dared, such a one would disobey. His

rebellion is smothered, ready to break out at any time in bitter murmurings

and complaints. Such service brings no peace or quietude to the

soul."—Ellen G. White,

Signs of the Times,

July 22, 1897.

For reflection: How do you relate to the commandments of

God? Do you see them as preventing you from doing what you

really want? Or do you agree with God that this is the best way

to live?

Tuesday



June 3

VICTORY THROUGH FAITH (1 John 5:4, 5).

What is identified as overcoming the world? 1 John 5:4, 5.

"Our faith." The danger is to believe that we gain the victory

through something of our own. So we need to look more closely at

what "faith" actually is.

Explain what you think the word

faith

means. Heb. 11:1, 6.

Faith is not some object or substance. You cannot weigh faith by

the pound or measure it by the pint. Faith is a

relational

word: you

have faith

someone (or something). You cannot simply "have

faith." It must always be faith

in.

(See 1 John 3:23; 5:5; Rom. 10:17.)

More than that—faith is not some mystical unknown. Simply put,

biblical faith can be defined as trust in God. It implies confidence in

God, in His trustworthiness and His saving ability.

So the phrase "our faith overcomes the world" becomes "our trust

in God overcomes the world," which puts the emphasis back where it

should be, not with us, but with the power and grace of God.

We hear about

blind faith.

Why is that not what God is looking

for? John 20:31; 2 Peter 1:16-19.

"There are many who fail to distinguish between the rashness of

presumption and the intelligent confidence of faith. . . . God has given

man precious promises upon conditions of faith and obedience; but

they are not to sustain him in any rash act."—Ellen G. White,

Review

and Herald,

April 1, 1875.

"God gives sufficient evidence to every soul. He does not promise

to remove every doubt, but He gives a reason for faith."—Ellen G.

White,

Review and Herald,

Jan. 24, 1899.

"All whom God has blessed with reasoning powers are to become

intellectual Christians. They are not requested to believe without

evidence; therefore Jesus has enjoined upon all to search the Scrip-

tures. Let the ingenious inquirer, and the one who would know for

himself what is truth, exert his mental powers to search out the truth as

it is in Jesus. . . . The Lord positively demands of every Christian an

intelligent knowledge of the Scriptures."—Ellen G. White,

Review

and Herald,

March 8, 1887.

Wednesday



June 4

WATER AND BLOOD (1 John 5:6-8).

What is significant about "water and blood"? 1 John 5:6-8

(compare John 3:5; Rom. 5:8, 9; 6:3, 4).

While we remember both "water and blood" at Christ's death as

recorded by John, a further significant meaning of these symbols is in

the context in which John is writing now. He was particularly con-

cerned to counter the argument that Jesus was only a human being

until His baptism, at which time Christ came down upon Him and

remained until shortly before His death. This theory was popular

among those who believed that things physical were evil—for how

could God be part of this evil world? In particular, how could God

become a human being? This is why John so explicitly states that "He

did not come by water only, but by water and blood" (1 John 5:6,

NIV).

What should we understand by "the blood of Jesus"? 1 John

1:7 (compare Matt. 26:28; Acts 20:28; Heb. 9:14; 1 Peter 1:

18, 19).

As a shorthand term for all that the death and resurrection of Jesus

means, surely this is an excellent and thoroughly biblical concept. But

we must also be careful not to misunderstand and not to see the

symbol as something to be taken literally. When we sing "There's

power in the blood," we do not actually mean there is literal power in

the blood. The power comes from the fact that, because Christ suf-

fered the ultimate penalty for our sins, He is now able to purify us

from all sin. The gift of redemption through Christ is always associ-

ated with the gift of holiness. The blood represents the way God has

chosen to save us—through Christ's death and cleansing power.

In natural experience, blood does not cleanse—quite the opposite.

But in the symbolism of the Old Testamental sacrificial system, blood

was seen as the means of taking away the guilt and consequences of

sin. But, of course, this is not literally true. It was not the blood of

bulls and goats that actually cleansed from sin. It was God who did

this. What God wanted then and wants now is that we understand the

seriousness of sin and its consequences, that we seek to be forgiven

and healed, and that we come to Him so that all this might be accom-

plished.

For reflection: What do the Spirit, the water, and the blood

testify to?

(See

John 14:26; Luke 3:21, 22; Rev. 1:5.)

Thursday



June 5

GOD'S TESTIMONY (1 John 5:9-12).

What is the basis for accepting God's testimony as trust-

worthy? 1 John 5:9, 10.

Some would argue that we do not have to verify God's testimony.

As the bumper sticker declares: "God said it. I believe it. That's all

there is to it." And that would be one way for God to act, if He so

chose. As Creator and Sustainer of the whole vast Universe, He can do

as He pleases.

But as far as God is concerned, what pleases Him is for us to

validate what He says, to make sure it is true. When John writes, "We

accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater" (1 John 5:9,

NIV), he is not saying God has to be believed because of God's

greater power. Rather, "God's testimony is much stronger" (1 John

5:9, TEV) because it is given to believers by the indwelling Holy

Spirit. Hence, His testimony makes sense, it is true, and it is right.

What God has said about the Son is of major importance—and we

think immediately of the voice from heaven at both Jesus' baptism

and His transfiguration. God's command is "Listen to him" (Matt.

17:5, NIV).

But what

God's testimony? 1 John 5:11, 12.

This is spelled out exactly: "The testimony is this: God has given

us eternal life, and this life has its source in his Son" (1 John 5:11,

TEV). The message God wants to get across is not only propositional

statements or descriptive declarations. God's testimony is that belief

in Christ's life, death, and resurrection results in the immediate gift of

eternal life.

So what does all this tell us? That, apart from Christ, we are

spiritually dead, in rebellion against God, and that the only hope of

salvation-healing is to accept the salvation so graciously offered by

our loving Saviour. As Phillips so clearly translates Romans 6:23:

"Sin

pays

its servants: the wage is death. But God

gives

to those who

serve him: his free gift is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."

The intrinsic consequence of sin is death. No question about it. On

the cross, Jesus silently but eloquently demonstrated this inescapable

fact as "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him

we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5:21, NIV). In

His death and resurrection, Christ reveals God's gracious gift of

eternal life.

Friday



June 6

FOR FURTHER STUDY:

Note on 1 John 5:7:

"V. 7 is found in no

manuscript earlier than the fourteenth century. It is first quoted as part

of John's text by Priscillian, the Spanish heretic who died in 385 A.D.

and it gradually worked its way into the Latin Vulgate. Erasmus

omitted the passage from the first printed Greek Testament of 1516,

but undertook to introduce the words if a Greek manuscript contain-

ing them could be produced. He was faced with a late manuscript

which did, in fact, contain the passage, and against his judgment kept

his promise. So, by way of Erasmus' 1522 edition, the interpolation

invaded the text of the Greek New Testament. The action of the RV in

cutting out the spurious words was tardy justice. We should treasure

every word of the inspired record, but we want no invasion of that

record by the additions of men, however sound the theology ex-

pressed."— E. M. Blaiklock,

Commentary on the New Testament

(London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1977), p. 246.

Assignment: Using a concordance, look at the 16 references

John makes in his Gospel to "eternal life." What do these refer-

ences tell you about this vital gospel theme?

The only way to have this eternal life is through Jesus Christ. He

identified Himself as the way, the truth, and the life. He declared that

He came that we might have life. He identified Himself as the resur-

rection and the life. (See John 11:25; 14:6; 10:10.) Consequently:

"Whoever has the Son has this life; whoever does not have the Son of

God does not have life" (1 John 5:12, TEV). May we always have the

life-giving Son, now and forever!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

What is the test to prove the genuineness of our love for

God's

family?

The victory is through our faith in Christ. Why doesn't that

mean that it is our achievement?

How would you explain to a non-Christian friend the mean-

ing of Christ's blood?

SUMMARY: We

have victory only through our trusting relationship

with God—for He is the victor. As we are born again into His image,

as we accept God's own testimony about His Son "through water and

through blood," we are sure that "God has given us eternal life."

The Church Remained Open

Fred L. Webb

Fausto watched in dismay as the attendance at the Adventist

church in their rural village grew smaller and smaller. When the

Adventist mission school had closed for lack of money, church

members began to scatter. Some moved to villages that still had a

school, but others simply stopped attending church. Fausto and his

wife tried to keep the church alive. They held regular services, but

the attendance dwindled until only the two of them came. They

prayed earnestly for their village, but the outlook seemed dim.

Villagers began tying their goats and sheep in the church to

keep them out of the rain. Then some villagers began taking boards

from the walls of the church to use for firewood. Fausto tried to

stop them, but boards continued to disappear.

One day someone noticed that many villagers had large tropical

ulcers on their legs. It seemed that the ulcers broke out mostly on

people who had desecrated the church. The superstitious people

decided that they were being punished for damaging God's church,

and they stopped taking the wood.

Fausto was invited to move to another village and minister to an

active Adventist church. He decided that if the church did not

show growth within three months, he would accept the call. Soon

after this Fausto learned that student missionaries from Mountain

View College were coming to reopen the school. The villagers

welcomed the missionaries, and some began taking Bible studies

from Fausto and the students. Many who had slipped away began

attending church again. Within four months 147 precious souls

were baptized. Fausto and his wife did not leave their village. They

stayed to minister to the new believers.

Fausto and his wife thank God for their answered prayers. Their

small church, which once stood nearly empty, is now too small for

all who want to attend services. The village

plans to enlarge the church so that every-

one, including children, can worship to-

gether.

Pray for the work and the workers in the

Philippines who dedicate themselves to

bring Christ to the lost.

Fred L. Webb is the farm coordinator at

Mountain View College in South Philippines.

Fausto Bicleram (left).

For Current Newsbrcak, Call 1-800-648-5824.

Lesson 11



June 8-14

Total Confidence

Sabbath Afternoon

READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: 1 John 5:13-21.

MEMORY TEXT: "I write these things to you who believe in

the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have

eternal life. This is the assurance we have in approaching God:

that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us"

(1 John 5:13, 14, NIV).

KEY THOUGHT:

In a world that often shatters our confidence,

we can always turn to God, the source of supreme confidence.

"THE RING OF CONFIDENCE."

Some years ago on British

television, an advertisement portrayed the advantages of a particular

brand of toothpaste. With the slogan, "The Ring of Confidence," a

white halo appeared around the necks of the actors and actresses,

accompanied by a musical "ping." It was supposed to convince you

that by using that toothpaste you could have complete confidence.

But confidence, real and life-changing confidence, does not come

from toothpaste. It comes only from knowing God, who gives us

eternal life, the One whom we can approach with the assurance that

He hears us (1 John 5:14). We do not worship an idol; we worship the

great and glorious God, who in His compassion has come to bring

salvation to His rebellious, ungrateful children.

"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that

we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need"

(Heb. 4:16, NIV).

Sunday



June 8

CONFIDENCE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD (1 John 5:13, 14).

What are John's grounds for confidence? 1 John 5:13, 14.

John is confident that we have nothing to be afraid of in the

presence of God. He

knows

the nature and character of God, and so all

his doubts, fears, and insecurities about God and His intentions have

been removed. (See also 1 John 3:21, 22; 2:28.) We must

continue in

Him

to have that confidence. We need to remain

in Him

in that close

and intimate relationship of father and child, doing what pleases Him.

Why do we come confidently to God? Write down exactly what

your reasons are. Heb. 10:19-25.

"In him [Jesus Christ] and through faith in him we may approach

God with freedom and confidence" (Eph. 3:12, NIV). Some take this

to mean that God is remote or hostile, so that we have to come through

the intermediation of the Son. This is far from the truth. Because we

understand

the truth about God from Jesus, we

wish

to come to God.

And what do we say about the divinity of Christ when we say we can

approach Him, but not God?

The reason for coming to God in confidence is that, by living a

perfect life and dying for our sin, Jesus, who is God, has made the

true character of God inescapably clear. Because of our trust in Jesus,

we come to God in trusting confidence

and freedom.

We approach

because we choose to.

What is the result of your confidence? 1 John 5:14.

People sometimes complain that they feel their prayers go no

higher than the ceiling. This is the text to dispel that feeling. We are

not to base our faith on feelings. God does not ignore us or refuse to

listen, unless we cut ourselves off from Him by choosing to live in sin.

Our problem is to make sure we

ask according to His will.

All too

often our prayers are foolish shopping lists or arrogant demands. We

need to learn the humility of Christ and approach God as a trusted

friend rather than as some kind of impersonal

vending machine

that

satisfies our wants.

For reflection: If you are not sure "that if we ask anything

according to his will, he hears us" (1 John 5:14, NIV), what

should you do?

Monday



June 9

GOD ALWAYS HEARS (1 John 5:15).

How should we understand 1 John 5:15?

Does this mean that whatever we ask for we get? Harry Emerson

Fosdick said: "God is not a cosmic bell-boy for whom we can press a

button to get things." What kind of relationship is one that is simply a

list of requests?

We need to set this verse in the context of all that has gone before.

We must remember the concepts of following God's will, of demon-

strating love to God and fellow human beings, of being primarily

friends of God. As Jesus pointed out, the Father gives gifts for our

best good, and if we ask for bread we will not receive a stone. So the

answer to "whatever we ask" will be determined by our Christian

experience and will be for our benefit, not our hurt.

So what is the real purpose of prayer? 2 Chron. 7:14; Jer.

29:13.

Is prayer telling God something He does not already know? Is it a

way to persuade Him to do something He will not otherwise do? Is it

to prove to Him that He really is God? No to all the above! We do not

pray to win God over or to inform Him or to satisfy His vanity! God is

trying to help us, not to please Himself.

"Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not that it

is necessary in order to make known to God what we are, but in order

to enable us to receive Him. Prayer does not bring God down to us,

but brings us up to

Him."—Steps to Christ,

p. 93.

How should you pray? James 1:6.

"There are two kinds of prayer—the prayer of form and the prayer

of faith. The repetition of set, customary phrases when the heart feels

no need of God is formal prayer. 'When ye pray,' says Christ, 'use not

vain repetitions, as the heathen do; for they think that they shall be

heard for their much speaking.' We should be extremely careful in all

our prayers to speak the wants of the heart, and to say only what we

mean. All the flowery words at our command are not equivalent to

one holy desire. The most eloquent prayers are but vain repetitions, if

they do not express the true sentiments of the heart."—Ellen G.

White,

Signs of the Times,

Aug. 14, 1884.

Tuesday



June 10

PRAYING ABOUT THE SINS OF OTHERS (1 John 5:16, 17).

When we hear of a fellow member's sin, what should be our

response? 1 John 5:16.

Sadly, all too often the response is condemnatory and judgmental.

Just as the scribes and Pharisees brought the woman taken in adultery

to Jesus and condemned her, so we tend to expose and publicize the

sins of our brothers and sisters. Perhaps as a way of making ourselves

look better, we point the finger and adopt a holier-than-thou attitude

toward our fallen friends.

Instead, the response should be one of grief and support, thinking

of what we can do to help and restore. As John says, "you should pray

to God, who will give him life" (1 John 5:16, TEV). God's nature is

inclusive, "not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to

repentance" (2 Peter 3:9, NIV). God is always there to save, revive,

and reestablish the one who has fallen. While we do not believe in the

doctrine of once-saved-always-saved, in our attitudes we can give the

impression of once-lost-always-lost.

What is the difference between sin to death and that which is

not? 1 John 5:16, 17.

Some have developed curious doctrines from this verse—that there

are

mortal

sins and

venial

sins, for example. But sin is sin, and the

only sin that God cannot forgive is the sin for which forgiveness is not

truly asked. As Jesus made clear, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is

unforgivable (Mark 3:29) because it is the Holy Spirit who convicts of

sin (John 16:8-11). So to resist the conviction of sinfulness is denial of

sin and rejection of God's desire to forgive and restore. God will not

impose Himself on anyone who rejects Him.

So how should we pray—especially with and for others? Rom.

1:9; Col. 4:12.

"If we keep the Lord ever before us, allowing our hearts to go out

in thanksgiving and praise to Him, we shall have a continual freshness

in our religious life. Our prayers will take the form of a conversation

with God as we would talk with a friend. He will speak His mysteries

to us personally. Often there will come to us a sweet, joyful sense of

the presence of Jesus. . . . Prayer turns aside the attacks of Satan."

—The Faith I Live By,

p. 225.

Wednesday



June 11

SAFE IN THE LORD (1 John 5:18, 19).

How are we safe in the Lord? 1 John 5:18.

The text is specifically speaking about being kept safe from sin.

This does not mean that God denies us choice—but as we pray "lead

us not into temptation," we choose to stay safe in the hands of our

loving Lord.

What does the experience of Job say to us? Job 1:1, 8-12.

As with Job and his troubles, God does not prevent problems and

temptations from coming, not to convince Him of the kind of people

we are, but to convince ourselves, others, and the whole onlooking

universe. "We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to

angels as well as to men" (1 Cor. 4:9, NIV).

Our safety from sin is not in our being removed from temptation,

but in the way we respond to it. God gives "grace to help us in our

time of need" (Heb. 4:16, NIV). As we choose God, the evil one

cannot harm us, despite the distress of the moment, for we are safe

with God as long as we trust in Him. Jesus, "the one who was born of

God keeps . . . [us] safe" (1 John 5:18, NIV).

We remember Job's denial that he had done anything for which his

present experience was a punishment. This was countered by his

comforters

who appealed to their understanding of God—that He

would indeed act in this way to Job because Job needed to repent.

There is the actual example, at the end of the story, of Job praying for

the sins of his comforters (Job 42:8, 10).

To whom do we belong? 1 John 5:19; 1 Cor. 6:19.

"We know that we belong to God even though the whole world is

under the rule of the Evil One" (1 John 5:19, TEV). The whole

concept of

belonging

is critical. We have chosen to belong to God's

family, despite the current situation, in which this world is under

Satan's domination. Even though this makes us

aliens and strangers

here, we are part of God's kingdom already, a kingdom that is soon to

be fully established with the return of the King.

So let us always be

absolutely sure where we belong!

For reflection: On what basis do you have the assurance that

you really do belong with God?

Thursday



June 12

UNION WITH GOD (1 John 5:20, 21).

How does John describe the closeness of our relationship with

God? 1 John 5:20.

We are "in him"—or as the Good News Bible puts it, "We live in

union with the true God—in union with his Son Jesus Christ" (1 John

5:20, TEV). Identifying with Him, agreeing with Him, right with Him,

we have harmony of will, purpose, and objective with God. Now truly

we are "at one" with God.

What does Jesus

say

about this union, this being together and

at one? John 17:20-26.

Notice these specific points: "that all of them may be one, Father,

just as you are in me and I am in you. . . . That they may be one as we

are one: . . . May they be brought to complete unity" (NIV).

Words can become familiar so that they lose their impact. So look

again at what Jesus is saying here, that we should be one as He is with

God. And this is how John chooses to close his Epistle, emphasizing

the oneness all of us should exhibit as we share together in our

trusting faith in God. There is no room for divisive and destructive

behavior, such as John was writing against. We may not all agree on

everything, but we can all be one.

"By faith, we enter into a relationship that will never end. We are in

God, and he is in us, his people, so that in Christ we are as close as we

possibly could be and God shares with us his own indestructible life,

the life of the eternal. Here is reality, here is Truth, ultimate and

absolute."—David Jackman,

The Message of John's Letters

(Leices-

ter, England, and Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1988),

p. 171.

How should we live as true Christians? Eph. 4:12-16.

"Oh, how I wish that we would honor Christ by realizing what He

wants to do for us, and taking Him at His word. If we would do this,

we should be sunshiny Christians. By beholding Christ, we would be

changed into His likeness."—The

Upward Look,

p. 359.

For reflection: Why does John end with the command to

"keep yourselves from idols" (1 John 5:21, NIV)? How does this

relate to being one with God?

Friday



June 13

FOR FURTHER STUDY:

What should our prayers be like?

Ps.

51:17. "Prayer is not an expiation for sin; it has no virtue or merit of

itself. All the flowery words at our command are not equivalent to one

holy desire. The most eloquent prayers are but idle words if they do

not express the true sentiments of the heart. But the prayer that comes

from an earnest heart, when the simple wants of the soul are ex-

pressed, as we would ask an earthly friend for a favor, expecting it to

be granted—this is the prayer of faith. God does not desire our cer-

emonial compliments, but the unspoken cry of the heart broken and

subdued with a sense of its sin and utter weakness finds its way to the

Father of all

mercy."—Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing,

p. 86.

"Home religion is greatly needed, and our words in the home

should be of a right character, or our testimonies in church will

amount to nothing. Unless you manifest meekness, kindness, cour-

tesy, in your home, your religion will be in vain. If there was more

genuine home religion, there would be more power in the church. We

may have a great deal more faith than we now have, by living up to the

light God has given. Says the apostle, 'Now faith is the substance of

things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.' As you would

believe in a friend, so you are to trust God. If your friend has never

denied your requests, you will not doubt his promise to favor you in

some new desire. You are to believe that Jesus knows just what you

need, and will supply all your wants; so you can go on in faith, saying

`I have laid my burden upon the Lord, and I will not lay it upon any

human being. God will hear and answer my prayers.' "—Ellen G.

White,

Review and Herald, May

19, 1891.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

How can we come confidently to God and ask correctly?

Does God impose conditions on answers to prayer?

How can we pray for others' sins without exposing them?

What is the unpardonable sin?

SUMMARY: Life with God, being in union with Him, is to be found

through having total confidence in God's saving and healing salva-

tion. Only by truly knowing God as He is can we trust in Him

completely, be sure of the effectiveness of prayer, and come with

complete assurance that He invites us into His presence eternally.

Giatrail Missies

God's Spirit Moves Mountains, Part 1

Maye Porter

Mamosi

an isolated village high in the mountains that form

the backbone of New Britain Island, a part of Papua New Guinea.

No roads lead to Mamosi. To get there one walks—a two-day

journey—or flies in. The church's mission office designated Mamosi

as a Global Mission target project. The mission plane would

arrive soon and would fly

two pastors

in to a landing field near the

village. Pastor Nick and Pastor Norman volunteered to go.

On a bright Sunday morning, the

two pastors

loaded their

materials and food into the small mission plane and flew off into

the clouds. In less than an hour the little plane was circling the

tiny airstrip in the mountains. They could see the government

school below, and a crowd of men and women standing in front of

building. Once the plane landed, the pastors quickly unloaded

their cargo. The pilot shook their hands and wished them God's

blessing, and the plane took off with plans to return on the follow-

ing Thursday. The

two pastors watched the

plane disappear down

the runway and into the sky, then turned to face the curious eyes

of the watching crowd.

One man, a village leader, stepped forward and asked the

pastors, "Who are you and why are you here?"

"We have come to bring you good news," replied Pastor Nick

with a smile. "We would like to hold some meetings for you. We

will tell you how to be healthier and happier."

"Are you from the government?" asked the village leader.

"Oh, no!" chorused the pastors. "We came to talk about God."

The villagers eyed them suspiciously. "What

lotu

[denomina-

tion] are you?" one man asked.

"We are Seventh-day Adventists," replied Pastor Norman, smiling

his friendliest smile.

The village leader began shouting at the men. "You cannot stay

here. We have our own

lotu.

We don't want 'Seven days' here!"

"Go! Go! Go!" the crowd began to shout at the

two surprised

pastors.

"We do not want you in our village."

Pastor Nick and Pastor Norman looked at each other. This was

serious. The people were clearly angry, but the mission plane

would not come back for five days. Breathing a prayer for guid-

ance, Pastor Nick motioned for the people to listen to him.

(Continued nextweek)

Maye Porter is associate child -ministries director in the Papua New

Guinea Union Mission.

For Current

Newsbreak, Call 1

800

648

5824.

Lesson 12



June 15-21

Don't Lose Out!

Sabbath Afternoon

READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: 2 John.

MEMORY TEXT: "Watch out that you do not lose what you

have worked for" (2 John 8, NIV).

KEY THOUGHT: Having come so far in the Christian life, how

foolish it would be to give up and lose out now! It is not that we are

thinking of the reward; we want to continue through to the end so we

can be forever with our God of truth and love.

STAYING WITH THE TRUTH! Hearing of the situation in the

church, John dashes off this letter as a way of reflecting his love and

concern, although he would far rather speak to them face to face.

His emphasis: Don't lose out! How foolish it would be to give up

now, he reminds them. And the same applies to us today. How foolish

to give up on the truth now. Despite all the problems surrounding us

and the difficulties in the church, we need to remember who the Lord

is we love. Deceivers are around; but we do not need to be fooled.

This inspired letter commands us to

walk in love.

We need to set

our spiritual priorities.

A boy was running in a school cross-country race, and was in

second place. Then he noticed that the boy behind had lost his shoe—

so he stopped to help him out. Then this boy dashed ahead and so his

helper came in third. This illustrates the way we should be as Chris-

tians. While everybody else is concentrating on winning this world's

race and gaining their own prizes, we are to have as our top priority

our love and concern for others. Our lives are to reflect God's love.

Sunday



June 15

THE DIVINE HARMONY OF TRUTH AND LOVE (2 John 1-3).

What are the two key words of this letter? 2 John 1.

These essential terms are both repeated six times in the space of

this brief epistle. John emphasizes the primary concepts that dominate

both his first letter and his Gospel. Truth without love is cold and

formal, right without being winsome. Love without truth is misguided

and dishonest, affectionate without being legitimate.

By identifying God as a Being of both truth and love, John captures

the essence of the way God operates and the response He wishes from

us. The principles of God and His government rest on these two great

pillars, rightly understood. The divine harmony of truth and love will

have definite results in the life of the Christian:

"If the divine harmony of truth and love exists in the heart, it will

shine forth in words and actions. . . . The spirit of genuine benevo-

lence must dwell in the heart. Love imparts to its possessor grace,

propriety, and comeliness of deportment. Love illuminates the coun-

tenance and subdues the voice; it refines and elevates the entire man.

It brings him into harmony with God, for it is a heavenly attribute."

—The Adventist Home,

p. 426.

How does John appeal to "the chosen lady" and her children?

2 John 2.

The truth "lives in us and will be with us forever" (2 John 2, NIV).

Could we write a letter like that, with such assurance? Are we con-

vinced that the truth lives in

and will be with

forever?

What is God's way of using truth and love? 2 John 3.

"God could have destroyed Satan and his sympathizers as easily as

one can cast a pebble to the earth; but He did not do this. Rebellion

was not to be overcome by force. Compelling power is found only

under Satan's government. The Lord's principles are not of this order.

His authority rests upon goodness, mercy, and love; and the presenta-

tion of these principles is the means to be used. God's government is

moral, and truth and love are to be the prevailing power."—The

Desire of Ages,

p. 759.

For reflection: Because God operates in this way, what are

the implications for the way you live?

Monday



June 16

NO NEW COMMAND (2 John 4-6).

What was new about the command John gave? 2 John 4, 5.

Jesus Himself identified a new command (John 13:34). But though

it may have seemed new to His hearers at the time, this was not a new

command. It reflected the will and character of God since the very

beginning. As John wrote in the previous letter, "This command I am

writing you is not new; it is the old command, the one you have had

from the very beginning. The old command is the message you have

already heard. But the command I now write you is new, because its

truth is seen in Christ and also in you" (1 John 2:7, 8, TEV). God's

command becomes new in the person of Jesus Christ—in Him it is

most clearly revealed. This command was at the heart of Jesus'

message.

Commands sometimes seem like trying to force people to

do something against their will. Is this what God wants? John

7:17.

Only by walking in the truth can we find true obedience, which

does not come through force or compulsion. We need to emphasize

this point, for the devil has been very successful in suggesting that

God does indeed operate this way. It can be said that ideas of divinely-

approved coercion are to be found in every example of human reli-

gion. But since Jesus stresses the love command, it becomes clear that

God never compels or pressures any of His children to obey Him.

Indeed, to operate from such principles of force and compulsion

would be to negate the whole great controversy and its evidence,

accumulated at such tremendous cost. For if God can achieve His

intentions by force, why does He not do so? Why did He not do so in

the very beginning?

"If a man is to be convinced, the truth as it is in Jesus must be

presented to his mind, and must appeal to his heart. Christ refuses

every other method—everything like compulsion, or restriction, or

force. His only weapons are truth and love.

'I,

if I be lifted up from the

earth,' he says, 'will draw all men unto me.' Fallen humanity is

drawn, not forced, into any position."—Ellen G. White,

Review and

Herald,

June 28, 1898.

For reflection: How does Jesus' statement about being lifted

up from the earth (on the cross) express God's ideals of truth,

love, and freedom?

Tuesday



June 17

DON'T BE DECEIVED (2 John 7, 8).

Can you think of any modern-day examples of deceivers who

refuse to acknowledge the truth about Jesus Christ as did the

deceivers in John's day (2 John 7)?

The problem is still with us today. John had to deal with deceivers

who taught that Christ was not actually human. Arguments over the

exact nature of Christ continue to plague the church and can be very

divisive in their consequences. John maintains the biblical position:

that the nature of Christ was unique. He was fully God and fully man.

Anything else leads us either to reduce His divinity or diminish His

humanity.

A teacher once asked a class to gather together as many opinions of

Christ as they could. The opinions were varied. But (apart from those

from the church group) the majority were not willing even to allow for

the actual

existence

of Christ. They considered Him to be a mythical

figure. Of those who

did

say he was real, the majority saw him as a

good teacher.

The

incarnation—the

belief that God was in human form in Jesus—

is absolutely essential to the Christian gospel. We

must

see God in

the man Christ Jesus, for if we do not, His reason for coming is

denied.

What are the dangers in listening to these deceivers? 2 John 8.

The tragedy is that you lose your way. Time and again this has

happened, sometimes to dear friends in the church. Some intriguing

person or idea comes along, and people become all worked up about

the situation. Often this is linked to a denial of certain truths and

almost invariably to criticism of leadership and ministry. While not

wishing to suggest that leaders and ministers are without fault, any

idea or system that makes repeated attacks on the current church

leaders must be viewed with suspicion—for it is only by denying

others' authority that such people can gain authority for themselves.

Sometimes the points of conflict may seem quite absurd. One

spokesman for a particular viewpoint preached on the evils of vinegar

and the sin of wearing multicolored clothing. What we must preach is

Christ and Him crucified. This is our highest priority.

For reflection: What can you do to protect others from

deception?

Wednesday



June 18

NEW LIGHT? (2 John 9-11).

What should be our response to new ideas about Christian

beliefs? 2 John 9. List some principles that you think are

important.

While being careful not to deny the gradual revelation of truth, we

must also identify with this position:

"Anyone who does not stay with the teaching of Christ, but goes

beyond it, does not have God" (2 John 9, TEV). Christ is not contra-

dictory; anything someone has to say must be tested by what has

already been revealed. Deception may seem impressive. A popular

TV evangelist may say that he is communicating God's word directly,

but this can be no substitute for the study of the Bible. There are no

shortcuts here: for "all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for

teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (2 Tim.

3:16, NIV).

So how should we treat those who demonstrate that they are

not teaching truth? 2 John 10, 11.

These verses seem to be harsh, suggesting that hospitality is to be

denied and that we should not even greet certain people. John has

already said enough to make clear that love must be demonstrated, but

he makes clear that love is not a question of imprudent toleration.

"The injunction not to receive any one who does not bring 'the

teaching of Christ' means that no such person must be accepted as a

Christian teacher or as one entitled to the fellowship of the church. It

does not mean that (say) one of Jehovah's Witnesses should not be

invited into the house. . . . Still less does it mean that disagreements on

church order should be treated as deviations from 'the teaching of

Christ' and used as a ground of exclusion. . . . But for a church, or its

responsible leaders, knowingly to admit within its bound the propaga-

tion of teaching subversive of the gospel is to participate in what

John describes as 'evil works.' "—F. F. Bruce,

The Epistles of John

(London: Pickering and Inglis, 1970), p. 142.

For reflection: How

should

we as a church investigate "new

light," and how should we deal with disruptive teachers? Con-

sider: "We should be careful how we receive everything termed

new light. We must beware lest, under cover of searching for

new truth, Satan shall divert our minds from Christ and the

special truths for this

time."—Selected Messages,

book 1, p. 159.

100

Thursday



June 19

TALKING HEART-TO-HEART (2 John 12, 13).

What do John's final words reveal about the attitudes Chris-

tians should have? 2 John 12.

"I have a lot that I could write to you, but somehow I find it hard to

put down on paper. I hope to come and see you personally, and we

will have a heart-to-heart talk together—and how we shall enjoy

that!" (2 John 12, Phillips).

We can see John's great love that comes straight from the heart.

Separated by distance, his heart goes out to his brothers and sisters in

the truth, for whom he genuinely loves and cares. What a tremendous

example to us. Christianity is shown for what it truly is when theologi-

cal truth is played out in the lives of individual believers.

How is John's joy made complete? What are the implications

for us? 2 John 12.

John's greatest happiness is to be with his extended Christian

family. He writes from genuine "parental" concern for those he loves

in the truth, and he wishes, more than anything else, to be with them.

He expresses a real and deeply felt love for these members of the

church. So why do some say that they would rather

not

be in church,

that they prefer

not

to associate with other members, that whatever

they feel for them, it is

not

love?

Whatever the situation, lack of love in the church is a result of sin

and selfishness.

"The Saviour desires His Church to be governed by the principles

of love and truth. Love for one another reveals that the love of God is

abiding in the heart. But many who profess to be followers of Christ

are so filled with a sense of their own importance that they have no

room in the heart for the sweet peace of Christ. They do not practice

His instruction. They do not manifest His forbearance and love. Their

hearts, once full of love for God and their brethren, are frozen by

selfishness. . . .

"Love of self excludes the love of Christ. Those who live for self

are ranged under the head of the Laodicean Church."—Ellen G. White,

Review and Herald,

Aug. 6, 1901.

For reflection: How can you know and love Jesus more fully,

so that His love can be seen in you, and you can love others

better?

101

Friday



June 20

FOR FURTHER STUDY:

Reconsider the Laodicean message (Rev.

3:14-22) in the light of 2 John.

A Challenge to us all:

"Take the question to your own hearts, and

answer it as if before the Judge of all the earth. A reformation must

take place in every family, in every institution, in every church.. .

[passages from 1 John quoted]."—Ellen G. White,

Review and

Herald,

April 3, 1900.

On making sure you don't lose out:

"The thoughts must be upon

heavenly things if you desire the Holy Spirit of God to impress truth

upon the mind and soften and subdue the heart, inspiring ardent love

of truth, of justice, of mercy, and of purity. The Spirit will bring to

your remembrance the most precious jewels of thought. The whole

heart will be warm with the contemplation of Jesus and His love, His

teachings will be cherished, and you will love to speak to others the

comforting things that have been opened to you by the Spirit of God.

This is the privilege of every son and daughter of God. Oh, if those

who believe the truth would love and fear the Lord always, if they

would abide in Christ, they would treasure up the most precious

experience; they would have moral and intellectual power; the grace

of God would be in them 'like a well of water springing up into

everlasting life,' and would flow forth from them as streams of living

water. When persecution comes, the influence of such souls will be

manifest; they will delight to magnify the

truth."—Manuscript

Releases,

vol. 4, p. 345.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

How could fear of "losing out" become a selfish desire?

What is the real danger from those who misstate the

truth?

How would you explain "the divine harmony of

truth and

love"?

How do we make sure we are not deceived?

SUMMARY: As we each one allow ourselves to be molded by the

influence of God's healing grace, we will inevitably become more

loving, caring people. If this is

not

happening in our lives, it must lead

us to question the validity of our experience with God. Our highest

desire will be not to lose out on the wonderful experience of being

with God now and for all eternity, and

together with all other

believers.

102

God's Spirit Moves Mountains, Part 2

Maye Porter

Pastor Nick and Pastor Norman had flown to Mamosi, a village

high in the mountains of New Britain Island, to witness to the

people there. But instead of a welcome, the villagers told the two

pastors to leave. However the mission plane had already left and

would not return for five days. After praying for God's guidance,

Pastor Nick spoke to the shouting crowd. "I'm sorry that our

coming has upset you," he said. "We don't know what to do. Our

plane will not return until Thursday. Could you please let us stay

until then? We will not preach if you don't want us to. It is cold up

here in the highlands." Pastor Nick hugged himself and smiled his

friendliest smile. "May we stay in a house until then?"

"We will discuss this matter," the leader replied grudgingly.

While the villagers talked together, the two pastors prayed. Soon

the village leaders returned. "You can stay," they said. "We will

prepare a house for you. But you are not to preach."

Several village boys helped the pastors carry their cargo to a

bush house. The people brought food for them to eat, according to

their custom. Some of the villagers stopped to talk and "story"

with the pastors. When darkness fell Pastor Nick said, "We are

going to have our worship now, so you people should leave." But

the people stayed and listened as the pastors had worship. They

pretended to talk together, but their words were intended for their

listeners. And when the two men bowed their heads to pray, those

listening around the house bowed their heads, as well.

Early the next morning the church bell rang for worship. The

village's religious teacher appeared at the pastors' house. "Please

come," he begged. "The people want you to speak to them."

"But we are not allowed to talk about God to the people," Pastor

Nick said. "We promised we would abide by the rule you gave us."

"We have changed our minds," the teacher said. "We know

you have something good to tell us." The two pastors quickly

dressed and hurried to the church, where they found a large

congregation waiting. They conducted worship and thanked the

people for allowing them to speak. When they finished speaking,

the people asked the pastors to speak at the evening meeting, as

well, and the pastors agreed, delighted at this change of heart.

(Continued next week)

Maye Porter is associate child-ministries director in the Papua New

Guinea Union Mission.

For Current Newsbreak, Call 1-800-648-5824.

103

Lesson 13



June 22-28

Imitating Good

Sabbath Afternoon

READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: 3 John.

MEMORY TEXT: "Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but

what is good" (3 John 11, NKJV).

KEY THOUGHT: Through the three personalities mentioned in

this letter, we see three models of Christian behavior in the church.

Which one we choose to imitate is up to us, but we should be under no

illusions what the different results will be.

IMITATING WHAT WE SEE. Churches dominated by one per-

sonality are frequently battlegrounds. Our membership can be scarred

by involvement in churches that see Christian ethics and standards

replaced by power struggles, with all the unchristian behavior that

results.

John had to deal with one such congregation under the repressive

tyranny of Diotrephes, who seemed to act like a petty dictator. In his

letter, John shows that his principle of loving one another

means

taking a firm stand against such influences. What is the real danger?

That members see the way such leaders operate, and either leave, or

imitate such behavior themselves.

One church suffered just such negative domination for a number of

years. A great deal of hurt was caused, and many people's Christian

experiences were damaged. It was not until the Lord moved that

person to one side that the church was able to continue its develop-

ment and growth. See how important our influence is and how we

must always try to make sure we

imitate the good!

104

Sunday



June 22

HAPPINESS IN THE CHURCH (3 John 1-4).

How does John express his wish? 3 John 1, 2.

John's interest is expressed in prayer and praise, a good model for

us as we try to encourage one another in the truth. Sadly, churches are

sometimes not happy places at all. From time to time, members com-

plain that they do not enjoy church, that there are problems with

gossiping and lack of friendliness. This indicates that the enemy is

winning the battle, and we must return to the true Source of love,

truth, and joy.

How are we

in the truth?

Explain your understanding of this

often-used phrase.

"To

walk in

(RSV, 'follow') the

truth

is more than to give assent to

it. He who 'walks in the truth' is an integrated Christian in whom there

is no dichotomy between profession and practice. On the contrary,

there is in him an exact correspondence between his creed and his

conduct. Such conformity of life to the truth on the part of his children

brought John

greater joy

than anything else. To him truth mattered.

He did not regard theological issues as unimportant trivialities. It was

from truth, believed and obeyed by his children, that he derived his

greatest joy."—John R. W. Stott,

The Epistles ofJohn

(London: Tyndale

Press, 1964), pp. 219, 220.

We speak about being

in the truth.

At times this claim may include

some tinge of spiritual arrogance. But only as the truth shows itself in

loving Christian behavior are our claims valid. And how do we reveal

Christian care and concern for those around us? We surely all need to

be more interested in others' spiritual welfare.

"A profession of faith and the possession of truth in the soul are

two different things. The mere knowledge of truth is not enough. We

may possess this, but the tenor of our thoughts may not be changed.

The heart must be converted and sanctified."—Christ's

Object

Lessons,

p. 97.

For reflection: Could we speak as John does? Or is it occa-

sionally more true to say that we take greater delight in the

problems and troubles of others than in their growth in Christ?

What can you do to make sure there is true happiness in the

church? How can you assist your brothers and sisters to grow in

Christ, without giving the impression that you are holier than

they?

105

Monday



June 23

GAIUS—FAITHFUL FRIEND (3 John 5-8).

Why does John single out Gaius for praise? 3 John 5, 6.

Two aspects: faithfulness and love for the members. John writes to

encourage and inspire Gaius to continue developing his Christian

excellence. Maybe Gaius was like most of us—a little unsure of

ourselves, somewhat reluctant to take on a responsibility that will

perhaps lead us into problems and confrontation. At nominating-

committee time, the pastor hears so often, "I really can't spare the

time," or "I just can't become involved," or "I don't feel I can manage

that."

What the church needs—what God needs—is dedicated people

who will not think of their own situation first, but people who will see

how they can help the cause of God forward. In practical ways—

imitating Gaius's hospitality and encouragement—we can all do our

part.

What if you do not feel able or qualified to do what you are

asked?

"You have the pattern, Christ Jesus; walk in His footsteps, and you

will be qualified to fill any and every position that you may be called

upon to occupy. . . . You are not to feel that you are a bond slave, but

a son of

God."—Sons and Daughters of God,

p. 283.

How does John suggest we use our resources? 3 John 7, 8.

If we see a need, we should try to meet it. Like Gaius, who did not

try to make it another's responsibility, we should try to help. John

wrote of these visiting church workers who did not ask help of unbe-

lievers, preferring rather to rely on the generosity of their fellow

Christians. John concludes: "We Christians, then, must help these

people, so that we may share in their work for the truth" (3 John 8,

TEV).

"The right use of one's self is the most valuable lesson that can be

learned. We are not to do brain work, and stop there, or make physical

exertion, and stop there; we are to make the best use of the various

parts that compose the human machinery—brain, bone, muscle, head,

and heart."—Sons

and Daughters of God,

p. 171.

106

Tuesday



June 24

DIOTREPHES—POWER AND PRIDE (3 John 9, 10).

How does Diotrephes show the spirit that is really at work in

his life? 3 John 9, 10.

Through malicious gossip, a refusal to accept other church leaders,

and the abuse of church power, Diotrephes demonstrates that though

he claims to have the truth, the truth is not in him. A philosophy of

"the end justifies the means" characterizes those in the church who

seek to further their own ambitions at the expense of true Christian

conduct:

"What is lying against the truth?—It is claiming to believe the truth

while the spirit, the words, the deportment, represent not Christ but

Satan. To surmise evil, to be impatient and unforgiving, is lying

against the truth; but love, patience, and long forbearance are in

accordance with the principles of truth. Truth is ever pure, ever kind,

breathing a heavenly fragrance unmingled with selfishness."—Ellen

G. White,

Review and Herald,

March 12, 1895.

What is the real contrast between Diotrephes and Gaius?

We can presume from the letter that these two men were both

converts to Christianity and began with love for God. Gaius main-

tained that

first love,

which is expressed in doing good, particularly

within the church and among its members. Diotrephes, on the other

hand, treats the church like any other organization and as his own

power base.

How does John describe Diotrephes' main problem? 3 John 9.

In his self-love, Diotrephes follows the precedent of Satan, who

desired to be first—even above God. (See Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28.)

The temptation to self-aggrandizement has affected individuals and

churches and inevitably leads to sub-Christian behavior. In seeking to

be preeminent, lording it over others, any such church dictator is in

direct opposition to the words of Jesus: "You know that the rulers of

the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise author-

ity over them. Not so with you" (Matt. 20:25, 26, NIV).

For consideration: How can the church make sure people do

not abuse their power?

107

Wednesday



June 25

DEMETRIUS—WELL-REGARDED (3 John 12).

Why is Demetrius commended? 3 John 12.

Nothing specific is mentioned, but the most important criterion is

mentioned: "Truth itself speaks well of him" (3 John 12, TEV).

Having spoken against Diotrephes, John wishes to identify a person

who will be of support to Gaius. How important good friends are in

the church, who share the same aims, and reveal by their actions their

Christian convictions.

What is the highest commendation? Micah 6:8.

It is the commendation of God that you have said and acted rightly.

In contrast to the power-seeking and pride of Diotrephes, Demetrius is

an example of one who follows the Lord's requirements: "To act

justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah

6:8, NIV).

At the end of Job's troubles and worries, God was able to say that

he was right, unlike his friends. It was even so with Demetrius. To this

commendation John adds his own testimony, that Demetrius is some-

one he trusts. He emphasizes the point by saying, "And you know that

our testimony is true" (3 John 12, NIV). See how much trust there

needs to be among true Christians!

Write out what you would wish to be commended for, in humil-

ity and not pride. Is it enough to be well spoken of by others?

We all make mistakes, and our judgment may be defective. So we

should not be particularly concerned to ensure that others speak well

of us, but that we meet with God's approval. What do we wish to be

known for? What is to be our epitaph? Sometimes people write their

own, sometimes this is done by others. But for Christians, the desire is

for God to write our epitaphs. To be called a "friend of God" is surely

the most-yearned-for recognition.

Demetrius is to be emulated in the matters for which he was

approved, though his part in Scripture is so brief. Our parts may not be

major ones, but we can all seek to be commended as was Demetrius.

For reflection: If you were to write your own epitaph and

describe yourself honestly, for what would you wish to be re-

membered? How do you wish to be regarded?

108

Thursday



June 26

IMITATING GOOD (3 John 11, 13, 14).

It is said that we learn by copying. What are we to imitate?

3 John 11.

Unfortunately, it often seems that people choose to copy bad ex-

amples more than good ones. John closes this brief letter with this

primary thought—find out what is good, and make sure to imitate

that. Although he does not say so specifically, John could have fol-

lowed Paul's lead by saying, "Therefore I urge you to imitate me"

(1 Cor. 4:16, NIV). And it would be harder to find a better person to

imitate than John, who is such a good example because of his close

relationship with Jesus.

"The pure, those who are good and do good, are very near to Jesus.

The disciple whom Jesus loved most was John, because he was the

closest imitator of His character and was imbued with the spirit of

love."—Ellen G. White,

Manuscript Releases, vol.

11, p. 26.

Trustworthy leaders are hard to find in this world, and church

leaders should truly be models of good behavior and sound teaching.

Without being proud and arrogant, we can encourage others to follow

what is good in any leader. For "whoever does good belongs to God"

(3 John 11, TEV).

If we are searching to imitate good, where should we go?

1 Peter 2:21, 22.

Obviously to the source of goodness, God Himself. Once again, we

are directed back to God in Christ, the theme of all John's writings.

Remind yourself of all that John has had to say on this theme.

For example,

see

John 1:18; 12:45; 14:9; 1 John 4:14, 15; 5:11, 12;

2 John 9.

John's message should go with us, ringing in our ears. Reread John

1 and 1 John 1. See how John speaks so clearly of how God is made

unmistakably plain in Jesus. And as we think of Jesus—His life,

atoning death, resurrection, heavenly ministry, and His soon re-

turn—what should be

our

message to this sad and dying world?

In his closing greetings, how does John communicate his con-

tinued interest in his friends? 3 John 13, 14.

109

Friday



June 27

FOR FURTHER STUDY: Quickly review all three of John's letters.

Try to write down in 20 words or less your summary of his message.

On being in unity:

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou

mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 2.

God wants each one of us to find his place, and when each one is in his

place, doing the work that God has given him, there will be perfect

unity."—The

Upward Look,

p. 157.

On personal religion:

"Personal religion is of the highest impor-

tance. John wrote to Gaius, 'Beloved, I wish above all things that thou

mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth' (3 John

2). Health of body depends largely upon health of soul; therefore

whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of

God. Personal religion is revealed by the deportment, the words, and

the actions. It causes growth, till at last perfection claims the commen-

dation of the Lord, 'Ye are complete in Him' (Colossians 2:10)."

—Mind, Character, and Personality, vol.

1, p. 27.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

How do we achieve true happiness in the church?

How do we determine what is good to imitate?

In looking at the three persons mentioned in this letter,

what insights do we have into their characters?

What was the main problem in Diotrephes' life?

What can we learn from the way John wrote his letters to

these churches and members?

SUMMARY: Like the early church, today's church has many prob-

lems, outside and in. Consequently, we all need to make sure we are

imitating the good, and living true and honest Christian lives. The

greatest goal is to hear from God His commendation as we enter into

eternal fellowship with Him and with the saved from every age.

110

label AlLuise

gip



God's Spirit Moves Mountains, Part 3

Maye Porter

Pastor Nick and Pastor Norman were not welcomed to Mamosi

as they had expected. But the village leaders allowed them to stay

if they would not preach. The pastors agreed, but villagers stopped

by their house to "story," and stayed as the pastors had worship.

The next day the pastors were delighted to be invited to speak to

the village at morning worship. After worship, the religious teacher

invited them to speak again that evening. The pastors spoke every

morning and evening during the five days they were in the village.

And during the day villagers stopped at their house to learn more

of God's love.

The pastors discovered that the people did not have Bibles, and

did not know even simple Bible stories. So the pastors used Bible

stories from which to draw wonderful gospel lessons to satisfy the

spiritual longings of the people.

On Thursday the mission plane came back as promised. This

time the villagers wailed, "Don't go yet! There is so much you

haven't told us!" But the pastors had to leave, so grateful villagers

loaded the little plane with gifts and food from their gardens.

"Please bring us Bibles when you come back," they begged.

"We want to read for ourselves the stories you have told us."

Pastor Norman promised to bring Bibles when they returned.

"When you come," they said earnestly, "stay longer, so you can

teach us how to use our new Bibles." The pastors nodded, climbed

into the plane, and waved as they sped down the grassy airstrip.

Pastor Nick and Pastor Norman are still hoping to return to

Mamosi. When the mission plane returned to New Britain, it had

mechanical problems, and the pastors could not get to Mamosi.

The villagers are still waiting for their Bibles.

But the people of Mamosi have not given up. They have sent

word to Pastor Nick confirming their desire to have the two men

return. "There are now people in two other villages waiting for

you to come and preach to them," the message said. The message

was signed by the leader who had told them to leave the village.

God's Spirit is working, especially in isolated areas such as the

mountains of New Britain. Pray that Pastors Nick and Norman can

return to Mamosi soon. Pray for more preachers and the means to

send them to all the villages that have asked for God's Word in

New Britain, the South Pacific, and throughout the world.

Maye

Porter is associate child-ministries director in the Papua New

Guinea Union Mission.

For Current

Newsbreak, Call 1-800-648-824.

Lessons for Third Quarter, 1997

The third quarter Sabbath School lessons, entitled

"Parables of

Jesus,"

focus on the stories Jesus told to reveal God's love and grace.

Lesson 1: The Lost and Found.

READ FOR

THIS WEEK'S STUDY: Luke 15.

MEMORY TEXT: Ezekiel 34:11, 12.

KEY THOUGHT: Salvation begins with God's love and mercy. It

comes not as much through our searching for God as it comes

through God's searching for us.

OUTLINE:

The Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1-7)

The Lost Coin (Luke 15:8-11)

The Younger son (Luke 15:11-20)

The Waiting Father (Luke 15:20-24)

The Older Son (Luke 15:25-32)

Lesson 2: Claiming the Treasure.

READ FOR THIS WEEK'S STUDY: Matt. 13:44-46; Luke 7:36-50;

12:13-34; 14:25-35.

MEMORY TEXT: Luke 12:34

KEY THOUGHT: The Father's love and grace compels Him to

search for us. And once He finds us, the same grace offers to

restore us to our original position as His children. How we respond

to His offer determines the course of our lives.

OUTLINE:

The Perfect Pearl (Matt. 13:45, 46)

Buried Treasure (Matt. 13:44)

Unfinished Towers; Outnumbered Kings (Luke 14:25-35)

Where is Your Treasure (Luke 12:13-34)

The Two Debtors (Luke 7:36-50)

Lessons in Braille

The regular adult Sabbath School lessons are available free each

month in Braille and 16 2/3 rpm records to blind and physically

handicapped persons who cannot read normal ink print. This includes

individuals who because of arthritis, multiple sclerosis, paralysis,

accident, old age, and so forth, cannot hold or focus on normal ink-

print publications. Contact the Christian Record Services, Box 6097,

Lincoln,

NE 68506.

112



)

00 \\ RD

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Available at your Adventist Book Center or call 1-800-705-8955.

•

a's SOUTH

UNION C

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Prague

CZECH REP

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ONF

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ITALY

SPAIN

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Rome

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Madrid

ITALIAN

UNION OF

ri CHURCHES

Mediterranean Sea

SPANISH UNION

OF CHURCHES

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SEVILLA

MISSERM

Can

MOROCCO

ROMANIAN

UNION CONE.

Black

Sea

ROMANIA

Bucharest •

EURO-AFRICA VISIO

Mission Projects:

Reconstruct Friedensau Theological

Graduate School in Germany.

Reconstruct evangelistic centers in Angola

that were destroyed during civil war.

BULGAR

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CHURCHES

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Membership

Population

Angola

556

142,350

11,330,200

Austrian

3,336

8,000,000

Bulgarian

6,179

8,400,000

Czecho-Slovakian

176

9,555

15,572,000

Franco-Belgian

139

11,051

68,543,400

Italian

5,280

57,610,000

Mozambique

735

98,135

16,100,000

North German

383

20,510

48,168,195

Portuguese

7,674

9,900,000

Romanian

973

68,760

22,760,000

South German

209

14,142

32,746,800

Spanish

6,200

39,300,000

Swiss

4,143

7,000,000

MISSERM

65,200,000

Totals June 30, 1994

3,572

397,318

410,630,595

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TUNISIA

Vienna*

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AUSTRI

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Bern

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